U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the “tragic and alarming incident” in northern Gaza on Thursday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, as well as ways to secure the release of Hamas hostages and a six-week ceasefire, the White House said.
Gaza health authorities said more than 100 Palestinians had been shot dead by Israeli forces as they waited for a food aid delivery, but Israel challenged the death toll and said many of the victims had been run over by aid trucks.
Biden said on Thursday the United States was checking reports of Israeli troops firing on people waiting for food aid in Gaza and that he believes the deadly incident will complicate talks on a ceasefire.
“I know it will,” Biden told reporters when asked whether the incident would complicate negotiations.
Health authorities in Gaza said Israeli fire on people waiting for aid near Gaza City on Thursday had killed 104 Palestinians and wounded 280, with one hospital saying it had received 10 bodies and dozens of injured patients.
“We’re checking that out right now,” Biden said as he left the White House for a trip. “There’s two competing versions of what happened. I don’t have an answer yet.”
He also said a temporary ceasefire probably would not happen by Monday, as he had earlier predicted.
“I was on the telephone with the people in the region. Probably not by Monday but I’m hopeful,” Biden said.
Israel and Hamas as well as Qatari mediators all sounded notes of caution this week about progress towards a truce in Gaza, where health authorities say more than 30,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks.
The war began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
