UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called for an independent investigation into the alleged Israeli strike, near the aid distribution center in Gaza, prompting the Israeli government to promptly condemn it quickly.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called Guterres' remarks “shamed” and criticized the UN CEO for not mentioning the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas or rejecting a ceasefire and hostage release proposal.
“It's not a fact about the fact that Hamas is a shooting civilian and trying to stop them from collecting aid packages,” Marmorstein wrote in an article on X.
Guterres earlier requested an investigation into the report based on Hamas' claims, saying Israel's strike killed civilians seeking aid. Hamas-run media office said Sunday that 30 people were killed in such incidents.
Guterres wrote on X: “It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives at risk,” adding that Israel has an obligation to promote the delivery of aid under international humanitarian law.
The Israeli military rejected the allegations, saying preliminary review found no evidence of firing civilians near or inside aid facilities. Claims cannot be verified independently.
Israel recently allowed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to distribute aid on the Gaza Strip, bypassing UN agencies while resuming limited aid delivery after nearly three months of lockdown.
