https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-bl...g-israel-for-deadly-gaza-aid-convoy-incident/
Amid American opposition, Arab nations failed Thursday overnight to get immediate support for a UN Security Council statement that would have blamed Israeli forces for the more than 100 reported deaths as Palestinians in northern Gaza swarmed an aid convoy.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, told reporters after an emergency closed council meeting on the deaths, that 14 of the 15 council members supported the statement put forward by Algeria, the Arab representative on the body.
Algeria’s draft declaration expressed “deep concern,” and stated that the situation was “due to opening fire by Israel forces.”
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The United States did not support the statement and US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters: “The parties are working on some language to see if we can get to a statement.
“The problem is that we don’t have all the facts here,” he said, adding that he wanted the wording to reflect “the necessary due diligence with regards to culpability.”
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Hamas has blamed the Israel Defense Forces for a reported 104 deaths in the early morning hours. The military said it did not fire at the crowd rushing the main aid convoy of aid trucks that entered northern Gaza early Thursday morning. It acknowledged that troops opened fire on several Gazans who moved toward soldiers and a tank at an IDF checkpoint, endangering soldiers. It argued most people had been killed in a stampede and asserted that fewer than 10 of the casualties were a result of Israeli fire.
Mansour said he met earlier in the day with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
“I implored her that the Security Council has to produce a product of condemning this killing and to go after those responsible for this massacre,” he said.
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If the Security Council has “a spine and determination to put an end to these massacres from happening all over again, what we need is a ceasefire,” Mansour said.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday the deaths required an effective independent investigation.
Speaking in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ahead of a regional summit, Guterres said he was “shocked” by the latest episode in the Israel-Hamas war.
Guterres said worsening geopolitical divides have “transformed the veto power into an effective instrument of paralysis of the action of the Security Council.”
“I am totally convinced that we need a humanitarian ceasefire and we need the unconditional and immediate release of hostages and that we should have a Security Council able to achieve these objectives,” Guterres said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks on his priorities for 2024 during a press briefing at UN headquarters on February 8 , 2024 in New York. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP)
France also wanted an independent inquiry, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said Friday. “We will ask for explanations, and there will have to be an independent probe to determine what happened,” Sejourne told the France Inter broadcaster.
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel “must fully investigate how the mass panic and shooting could have happened.”
The White House said on Thursday that the incident in Gaza City was “tremendously alarming,” as Israel shared drone footage of troops’ attempts to disperse the swelling mob, denying responsibility for the mass deaths amid international criticism of its Gaza offensive.
The violence was quickly condemned by Arab countries. US President Joe Biden held talks on the incident with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, as well as on ways to secure the release of some 130 hostages held by Hamas since October 7 and a six-week ceasefire in the war.
Both the White House and State Department expressed horror over what occurred and indicated that they would demand answers from Israel.
“This latest event needs to be thoroughly investigated,” White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton told reporters on Air Force One. “This event underscores the need for… expanded humanitarian aid to make its way into Gaza.”
The IDF published a drone video showing thousands of people swarming around the aid trucks as they reached the area in northern Gaza. In some cases, the vehicles continued to try and push past the crowds.
The military acknowledged that troops opened fire on several Gazans who moved toward soldiers and a tank at an IDF checkpoint, endangering soldiers, after they had rushed the last truck in the convoy further south.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller offered condolences for those killed and said that Washington had asked Israel to provide answers and ensure safe aid delivery.
Amid American opposition, Arab nations failed Thursday overnight to get immediate support for a UN Security Council statement that would have blamed Israeli forces for the more than 100 reported deaths as Palestinians in northern Gaza swarmed an aid convoy.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, told reporters after an emergency closed council meeting on the deaths, that 14 of the 15 council members supported the statement put forward by Algeria, the Arab representative on the body.
Algeria’s draft declaration expressed “deep concern,” and stated that the situation was “due to opening fire by Israel forces.”
Sheba Makes Top 10 Hospitals listKeep Watching
The United States did not support the statement and US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters: “The parties are working on some language to see if we can get to a statement.
“The problem is that we don’t have all the facts here,” he said, adding that he wanted the wording to reflect “the necessary due diligence with regards to culpability.”
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories
Newsletter email address
By signing up, you agree to the terms
Hamas has blamed the Israel Defense Forces for a reported 104 deaths in the early morning hours. The military said it did not fire at the crowd rushing the main aid convoy of aid trucks that entered northern Gaza early Thursday morning. It acknowledged that troops opened fire on several Gazans who moved toward soldiers and a tank at an IDF checkpoint, endangering soldiers. It argued most people had been killed in a stampede and asserted that fewer than 10 of the casualties were a result of Israeli fire.
Mansour said he met earlier in the day with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
“I implored her that the Security Council has to produce a product of condemning this killing and to go after those responsible for this massacre,” he said.
Advertisement
If the Security Council has “a spine and determination to put an end to these massacres from happening all over again, what we need is a ceasefire,” Mansour said.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday the deaths required an effective independent investigation.
Speaking in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ahead of a regional summit, Guterres said he was “shocked” by the latest episode in the Israel-Hamas war.
Guterres said worsening geopolitical divides have “transformed the veto power into an effective instrument of paralysis of the action of the Security Council.”
“I am totally convinced that we need a humanitarian ceasefire and we need the unconditional and immediate release of hostages and that we should have a Security Council able to achieve these objectives,” Guterres said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks on his priorities for 2024 during a press briefing at UN headquarters on February 8 , 2024 in New York. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP)
France also wanted an independent inquiry, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said Friday. “We will ask for explanations, and there will have to be an independent probe to determine what happened,” Sejourne told the France Inter broadcaster.
Advertisement
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel “must fully investigate how the mass panic and shooting could have happened.”
The White House said on Thursday that the incident in Gaza City was “tremendously alarming,” as Israel shared drone footage of troops’ attempts to disperse the swelling mob, denying responsibility for the mass deaths amid international criticism of its Gaza offensive.
The violence was quickly condemned by Arab countries. US President Joe Biden held talks on the incident with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, as well as on ways to secure the release of some 130 hostages held by Hamas since October 7 and a six-week ceasefire in the war.
Both the White House and State Department expressed horror over what occurred and indicated that they would demand answers from Israel.
“This latest event needs to be thoroughly investigated,” White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton told reporters on Air Force One. “This event underscores the need for… expanded humanitarian aid to make its way into Gaza.”
The IDF published a drone video showing thousands of people swarming around the aid trucks as they reached the area in northern Gaza. In some cases, the vehicles continued to try and push past the crowds.
The military acknowledged that troops opened fire on several Gazans who moved toward soldiers and a tank at an IDF checkpoint, endangering soldiers, after they had rushed the last truck in the convoy further south.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller offered condolences for those killed and said that Washington had asked Israel to provide answers and ensure safe aid delivery.
