EXPLAINER
Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians racing to drag meals off an assist convoy in Gaza, producing a wave of condemnation.
Right here’s how issues stand on Friday, March 1, 2024:
Preventing and humanitarian disaster
- On Thursday, Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians racing to drag meals off an assist convoy in Gaza Metropolis. At the very least 112 folks had been killed within the chaos.
- Initially, the Israeli military blamed crowding and trampling for the deaths, whereas an Israeli navy official later mentioned the troops “opened hearth on the crowd” after some Palestinians started heading in direction of Israeli forces in a manner that “endangered” them.
- Hamas decried the assault as an “unprecedented battle crime”. The PA workplace described the incident as an “ugly bloodbath”.
- Israeli military claims that it has killed greater than 13,000 Palestinian fighters in Gaza for the reason that begin of its floor invasion doubtless nonetheless leaves Palestinian armed teams with a sizeable power as Hamas alone had 40,000 fighters earlier than the most recent battle started in October, battle screens mentioned.
Regional tensions and diplomacy
- Thursday’s taking pictures was rapidly condemned by Arab nations, and United States President Joe Biden expressed concern it might add to the problem of negotiating a ceasefire within the practically five-month battle.
- In the meantime, Austria’s international minister urged Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group towards escalating the battle alongside the risky Israel-Lebanon border and expressed hope for a pause within the combating in Gaza.
- Yemen additionally condemned Israel’s killing of greater than 100 Palestinian civilians ready for meals assist close to Gaza Metropolis, saying the continuing “massacres” quantity to “battle crimes and the collective punishment of harmless folks”.
- Elsewhere, veteran left-wing British politician George Galloway has won a by-election in England’s northwestern city of Rochdale after operating on a pro-Palestine, anti-Israel platform.
- In Russia, representatives of a dozen Palestinian factions, together with Fatah and Hamas, are assembly for “inter-Palestinian” talks to debate the formation of a unified authorities.
- Within the US, an announcement from Biden has urged Home Republicans to go a international assist invoice to be able to “assist be certain that Israel can defend itself towards Hamas and different threats”.
Violence within the occupied West Financial institution
- Israeli forces have stormed the Qalandiya refugee camp within the occupied West Financial institution and arrested two males allegedly linked to a lethal assault on Israeli settlers within the Eli settlement.
- Elsewhere within the occupied West Financial institution, Israeli settlers attacked the houses of Palestinians with stones on the outskirts of the city of Jalud, southeast of Nablus.