Switzerland ‘deeply concerned’ at civilian deaths in Gaza during aid delivery
Switzerland has expressed its serious concerns at the loss of lives in northern Gaza on Thursday when at least 112 people were killed while waiting for an aid delivery.
Switzerland is “deeply concerned by the very high number of civilian casualties” reported during the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza on Thursday, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Friday.
“Such scenes are unacceptable, and clarification is essential,” it added.
Respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is “imperative” and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire is necessary to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid, the Swiss foreign ministry said in a message published on the X social network (formerly Twitter).
“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims,” it added.
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Injured children from Gaza receive medical care in Switzerland
Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces had killed more than 100 Palestinians trying to reach a relief convoy near Gaza City early on Thursday.
Israel blamed most of the deaths on crowds that swarmed around aid trucks, saying victims had been trampled or run over. An Israeli official also said troops had “in a limited response” later fired on crowds they felt had posed a threat.
The incident has underscored the depth of the humanitarian crisis and collapse of orderly aid deliveries in areas of northern Gaza occupied by Israeli forces as part of their response to the deadly attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7.
Translated from French by DeepL/sb
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