WASHINGTON - The United States supports the United Nations doing a review into an aid-related incident in Gaza last week where dozens of people were killed, the US State Department said on March 4.

Why it is important

Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces on Feb 29 shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery. Some injured survivors also said Israeli forces shot them as they rushed to get food for their families. Israel blamed the deaths on crowds that surrounded aid trucks, saying victims had been trampled or run over.

Pressure has mounted on Israel over the killings, which were widely condemned, with several countries backing a UN call for an inquiry. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the situation would require an effective independent investigation.

Key quotes

“I did note that the UN says that it is sending UN staff into hospitals to look at the nature of the wounds to see if it was small number of people who were killed by gunshots or whether it was a larger number or whether the deaths came as a result of being run over by trucks or crushed in the horrific events that occurred,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on March 4.

“So it does appear the UN is conducting at least its own kind of assessment of what happened and we support them doing that.”

Context

Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, killing 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has since militarily assaulted Hamas-governed Gaza, with its bombardment of the tiny enclave killing over 30,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry.

Most of Gaza has been flattened in Israel’s offensive, with nearly all its 2.3 million population displaced and on the brink of starvation. South Africa has accused Israel of state-led genocide at the World Court. Israel denies the allegation and says it is acting in self-defence. REUTERS