France denounces ‘unjustifiable Israeli fire’ in deadly aid stampede in Gaza

France condemns “unjustifiable Israeli fire” in a scramble for food aid in war-torn Gaza that left dozens of people dead.

“The fire by Israeli soldiers against civilians trying to access food is unjustifiable,” the French foreign ministry says, adding that the “tragic event” came as an “increasing and unbearable number of Palestinian civilians” are suffering from hunger and disease.

The military has said most of the casualties were caused by a stampede and being run over by the supply vehicles, and that it did not fire at the crowd rushing the main aid convoy. It acknowledged that troops opened fire on several Gazans who moved toward soldiers and a tank at an IDF checkpoint, endangering soldiers.

Spain’s foreign minister calls the deaths “unacceptable.”

“The unacceptable nature of what happened in Gaza, with dozens of Palestinian civilians dead as they were waiting for food, underlines the urgency of a ceasefire,” Jose Manuel Albares writes on X, formerly Twitter.