UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES FROM BAERBOCK
By Anadolu staff
BERLIN (AA) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday demanded an explanation from Israel after its military opened fire on Palestinian civilians who were gathered to receive humanitarian aid in Gaza.
“People wanted relief supplies for themselves and their families and died. I am shocked by the reports from Gaza,” Baerbock said in a statement.
“The Israeli army must fully investigate how the mass panic and shooting could have happened. My thoughts are with the families of the victims,” she added.
On Thursday, at least 112 Palestinians were killed and 760 others injured when Israeli forces opened fire at a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City, said the Health Ministry in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli military said an initial investigation found that Palestinians approached a military checkpoint overseeing the entry of the aid trucks when soldiers fired warning shots and shot at the legs of Palestinians who continued to move toward the troops.
Baerbock reiterated her call for a humanitarian cease-fire and urged Israeli authorities to allow more humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinians are at imminent risk of famine.
“In Gaza, people are closer to dying than to living. More humanitarian aid must come in. Immediately,” the minister said.
“A humanitarian cease-fire is needed so that the hostages can finally be freed from the hands of Hamas, and no more people die in Gaza. And aid can be distributed safely,” she added.
Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people. At least 30,035 Palestinians have been killed and 70,457 others injured in Israeli attacks.
The Israeli government has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.