UN head 'appalled' by reports of deaths of Palestinians while seeking food aid
The UN official then called for an investigation into the reports and "for the perpetrators to be held accountable."
The United Nations Secretary General said on Monday he was appalled by reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza on Sunday, and called for an independent investigation.
"It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food," Antonio Guterres said in a statement. The UN official then called for an investigation into the reports and "for the perpetrators to be held accountable," later adding that Israel "has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to agree to and facilitate humanitarian aid."
"There is no military solution to the conflict," Guterres concluded.
The UN official made these statements just over a week and a half after meeting with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, where he committed to appointing a "dedicated official to coordinate the UN's response to hostage situations worldwide," the forum announced.
The US-backed aid organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) had denied that the IDF attacked a food distribution point near Rafah when Sunday's incident occurred. The military also denied reports of firing on civilians.
The IDF added that it closely cooperates with the GHF and international aid groups to ensure aid reaches Gaza's residents, and also bypasses going into the hands of the Hamas terrorist organization.
The military then released drone footage the same day that showed armed and masked individuals shooting at Palestinian civilians who were trying to collect aid in southern Khan Yunis.
Last Thursday, the GHF also denied reports that five Palestinians were killed following the last two days of distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
"There are many parties who wish to see GHF fail," the humanitarian organization said. "Their goal is to force a return to the status quo, even if it means risking lifesaving aid to the people of Gaza."
Two days earlier, it was reported that crowds of Palestinians who arrived to retrieve aid had overrun the outer defenses of the GHF's food distribution centers. While there were no killings of civilians in the incident, the IDF and US security contractors who were running the aid distribution had to fire warning shots in the air to make the crowd back off.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
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