Strike on Palestinians waiting for aid kills more than 100

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS.Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City on Thursday, the Associated Press reports citing witnesses.According to Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra, in addition to at least 104 people killed, around 760 were wounded.

Hospital officials initially reported an Israeli strike on the crowd, but witnesses later said Israeli troops opened fire as people pulled flour and canned goods off of trucks.

The Israeli military declined to provide an on-the-record statement about the role of troops in the incident.

Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver humanitarian assistance in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys. The UN says a quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation; around 80 % have fled their homes.

Separately, the Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.