President Joe Biden told a press gaggle outside the White House that the deadly shooting at a convoy of aid trucks in Gaza will complicate Israeli hostage negotiations with Hamas.
On Thursday, more than 104 people were killed and 760 were wounded after IDF troops opened fire on a group of civilians gathering for food aid trucks in western Gaza City, according to CNN, which cited the Palestinian Ministry of Health and a reporter within the enclave.
Per CNN’s report, hungry civilians surrounded the trucks when the Israeli tanks and drones opened fire. Local journalist Khadeer Al Za’anoun told CNN many of the causalities resulted from aid trucks ramming people as civilians tried to escape Israeli fire. An Israeli official confirmed to CNN that IDF soldiers fired on the aid trucks, alleging “the crowd approached the forces in a manner that posed a threat to the troops, who responded to the threat with live fire. The incident is under review.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House following the deadly shooting, the president said he was certain the event would complicate negotiations with Hamas to have Israeli hostages released and for a ceasefire in the region.
REPORTER: Do you know what happened in Gaza city? More than 100 civilians were killed.BIDEN: We’re checking it out right now. There’s two completely different versions of what happened. I don’t have an answer yet.REPORTER: Are you worried that it will complicate
negotiations?BIDEN: I know it will.
Following the shooting, Hamas senior member Izzat Al-Risheq claimed in a statement reported by CNN that the deaths of civilians near the aid trucks in Gaza could lead to a failure of current ceasefire and hostage release negotiations.
“Negotiations are not an open process,” he said in a statement published on Telegram. “We will not allow for the pathway of the negotiations…[to become] a cover for the enemy’s continued crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip.”
Watch above via CNN.