Amnesty International calls for urgent probe into Gaza aid attack

By Faruk Zorlu

Amnesty International called Thursday for an urgent investigation into the killing by Israeli forces of more than 100 Palestinians who waiting for food supplies in Gaza.

"There must be an urgent investigation into horrific reports that scores of Palestinians were killed & injured while trying to receive food aid in northern Gaza today," the London-based human rights group said on X.

It said it is conducting an investigation into the incident as part of "its ongoing documentation of violations against Palestinian civilians.”

The statement came after Israeli forces fired on a crowd of Palestinians early Thursday as they awaited humanitarian aid in Gaza City, killing at least 112 people and injuring 760 others, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry.

Highlighting the severity of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the organization pointed to the UN's recent warning of an imminent famine, attributing the crisis to Israel's "illegal blockade and relentless bombardment" of the region over the past 16 years.

"The calls by Israel’s National Security Minister (Itamar) Ben-Gvir in the aftermath of today’s tragedy to stop transferring aid to Palestinians in Gaza, claiming it endangers Israeli soldiers, are outrageous and inhumane," it said.

Amnesty International urged Israel's allies to end their inaction in response to Tel Aviv’s defiance of the International Court of Justice's orders and its disregard for its obligations under international law, calling for immediate and effective action to "prevent genocide and protect civilians in Gaza."

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 30,035 Palestinians have since been killed and over 70,457 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.