White House calls for investigation into attack on Palestinians waiting for aid

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House urged an investigation Thursday into the deadly attack by Israel on malnourished Palestinians waiting for a humanitarian aid delivery in the Gaza Strip.

"We think that this latest event needs to be thoroughly investigated," said spokesperson Olivia Dalton at a news conference.

She said the US has been in touch with the Israeli government to gather information about the circumstances that led to the tragedy.

"This event underscores the need for expanded humanitarian aid to make its way into Gaza," she said.

"Obviously, the events in northern Gaza are tremendously alarming and deep concern to us, deeply tragic the loss of human life. Too many civilian lives have been lost as a consequence of military operations in Gaza," she added.

Dalton said Washington would like to see plans by Israel to maintain basic security in areas of its operations.

"Because the continued loss of life is deeply alarming and very, very, very tragic," she noted.

The death toll of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army while waiting for humanitarian aid on Thursday rose to 112 and is likely to climb, the enclave's Health Ministry told Anadolu.

The attack occurred at dawn as hundreds of Palestinians were waiting to receive the aid near the al-Nablusi roundabout area, south of Gaza City, when they came under Israeli fire, according to witnesses.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

At least 30,035 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 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 is 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.