They went out within the 1000’s, tenting in a single day alongside the coastal street within the chilly Gaza evening — making small fires to maintain heat — huddled collectively ready for provides to return so they may feed their households.
What they encountered was loss of life and damage, as Israeli forces opened hearth towards hungry, determined Palestinians who surged ahead when support vehicles lastly arrived within the predawn darkish on Thursday, based on three eyewitnesses and a health care provider who handled the wounded.
“I noticed issues I by no means ever thought I might see,” mentioned Mohammed Al-Sholi, who had camped out in a single day for an opportunity at getting meals for his household. “I noticed folks falling to the bottom after being shot and others merely took the meals gadgets that have been with them and continued operating for his or her lives.”
Greater than 100 Palestinians have been killed Thursday morning, Gazan well being officers mentioned, when Israeli forces opened hearth as big crowds of individuals thronged across the support vehicles.
An Israeli navy spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, acknowledged that Israeli troops had opened hearth “when a mob moved in a way which endangered them,” with out giving particulars. However he denied the troopers had fired at individuals who have been attempting to get meals. “We didn’t hearth on these searching for support, regardless of the accusations,” he mentioned. A lot of the deaths have been attributable to trampling in a stampede, Admiral Hagari mentioned, and a few folks have been hit by support vehicles.
The truck convoy was lengthy and it remained unclear exactly what occurred at completely different places alongside it. However Mr. Al-Sholi and two different witnesses mentioned in phone interviews that they noticed Israeli forces firing straight at folks as they tried to succeed in the convoy. A health care provider at a close-by hospital described seeing scores of individuals with gunshot wounds.
Monumental teams of individuals have camped out for support or raced to convoys in latest weeks, hoping for some deliverance from the extreme starvation that has gripped northern Gaza via almost 5 months of an Israeli offensive that has included intense bombardment, a siege and a floor invasion.
Mr. Al-Sholi, a 34-year-old taxi driver, mentioned he was compelled to hitch the 1000’s of individuals gathered close to the Nabulsi roundabout in Gaza Metropolis as a result of he and his household, together with three younger youngsters, are surviving off little however the spices, minced wheat and wild greens that they’ll discover.
On Wednesday, he had heard that folks had acquired baggage of flour from support vehicles, and there have been rumors that one other convoy was coming. So on Thursday, round 7 p.m., he went to the Nabulsi roundabout with buddies to attend.
He mentioned he had by no means seen so many individuals gathered in a single place. Others described tens of 1000’s of individuals ready.
“Proper earlier than the vehicles arrived, a tank began to maneuver towards us, it was round 3:30 a.m. and fired few pictures within the air,” Mr. Al-Sholi mentioned in a cellphone interview. “That tank fired at the very least one shell. It was darkish and I ran again towards a destroyed constructing and took shelter there.”
When the help vehicles arrived quickly after, folks ran towards them in desperation, and the gunfire began, the witnesses mentioned.
“As typical, when the help vehicles arrived, folks ran towards them to get foods and drinks and no matter else they may get,” mentioned Mohammad Hamoudeh, a photographer in Gaza Metropolis. However when folks reached the vehicles, he mentioned, “the tanks began firing straight on the folks.”
He added, “I noticed them firing direct machine gun hearth.”
Mr. Hamoudeh mentioned that, regardless of the concern and panic on the scene, many nonetheless rushed to the provides. “Individuals have been terrified however not everybody, there have been those that risked loss of life simply so they may get meals,” he mentioned. “They only need to dwell.”
The witnesses mentioned that the tanks fired shells towards folks even after they started to run away. They mentioned tanks arrived between 3 and 4 a.m. and began firing often towards the Gazans, stopping at round till about 7 a.m.
The Israeli navy didn’t reply to questions on whether or not Israeli tanks opened hearth earlier than or after the help vehicles arrived. Admiral Hagari mentioned the vehicles had neared Gaza Metropolis round 4:45 a.m.
Partial drone video footage launched by the Israeli navy, together with social media movies of the scene analyzed by The New York Occasions, don’t totally clarify the sequence of occasions. Movies present panic, together with folks ducking for canopy and taking meals from vehicles.
Mr. Al-Sholi described chaos as ran from the help vehicles and folks round him have been hit.
“I noticed folks falling to the bottom,” Mr. Al-Sholi mentioned. “The person subsequent to me was shot within the arm with a bullet and misplaced his finger instantly.”
As he fled, he mentioned, he noticed about 30 folks on the bottom, both killed or wounded. A type of killed was his cousin, who was shot whereas operating with a bag of flour, he mentioned. About 150 meters away from one of many tanks, he recalled seeing a boy, about 12 years previous, mendacity on the bottom along with his face lined with blood. Some folks have been additionally run over by the help vehicles, he mentioned.
A 3rd witness, a journalist who spoke on the situation of anonymity for concern of retaliation from the Israeli navy, mentioned the Israeli hearth was so intense it was tough to get to the wounded.
The tanks didn’t cease firing till round 7 a.m. however they didn’t pull again. Individuals began dragging or carrying the lifeless and wounded, saying the Muslim declaration of religion as they did so fearing the tanks would begin firing once more, mentioned Mr. Hamoudeh.
A few mile away ambulances had gathered, unable to get any nearer, for concern of being fired on by Israeli forces. Some folks carried or introduced the wounded to them on donkey carts, or took them to hospitals on their very own
Round 150 wounded folks and 12 of these killed arrived on the Kamal Adwan Hospital, mentioned Dr. Eid Sabbah, the top of nursing there. He mentioned about 95 % of the accidents have been gunshot wounds within the chest and stomach.
Lots of the wounded have been in crucial situation and required surgical procedure however the hospital, just like the few others nonetheless functioning in Gaza, suffered from a scarcity of electrical energy, gasoline, medical tools and medicines.
Medical workers have been solely in a position to carry out 20 operations, with painkillers however with out anesthesia, of their three outfitted working rooms, Dr. Sabbah mentioned. Like meals provides, medical support has turn into scarce during the last 4 months, leaving the few hospitals nonetheless working struggling to deal with sufferers past first support.
Dr. Sabbah warned that lots of the wounded from Thursday’s taking pictures couldn’t be correctly handled of their hospital.
“Within the I.C.U. there are sufferers who want specializations and medicines and want sophisticated surgical procedures,” he mentioned. “Their solely hope is to be transferred outdoors of Gaza to be handled.”
Nader Ibrahim contributed reporting.
