Biden says 'alarming' Gaza deaths complicate ceasefire talks

(Patria) - US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that a deadly incident at a food aid point in Gaza had complicated ceasefire negotiations, but also stressed the urgency of a deal between Israel and Hamas, AFP reported.

Biden added that a ceasefire was unlikely to happen by Monday, as he had previously believed, but stressed that he still hoped for a deal that would allow a six-week pause in fighting in exchange for the release of hostages held by Hamas. "Hope springs eternal," he told reporters at the White House when asked about the timing of a ceasefire. "I spoke by phone with people in the region... Probably not by Monday, but I'm hopeful."

Biden was also asked about the incident in Gaza, when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid, killing more than 100 people. "We are looking into it right now. There are two conflicting versions of what happened, I don't have an answer yet," Biden said as he walked towards his helicopter. When asked if he was concerned it would complicate the delicate ceasefire negotiations, Biden replied: "I know it will."

The White House later said it had asked Israel to investigate the "terribly alarming" deaths.

"We think this latest event needs to be thoroughly investigated," Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton told reporters traveling with Biden to Texas. "We have been in touch with the government of Israel this morning to gather information and to ask them to investigate," she added.

The US State Department called the situation in Gaza "desperate" and said it would monitor the investigation and "seek answers," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters about the incident.

Biden had earlier spoken separately with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi about efforts to reach a ceasefire. They discussed the "tragic and alarming" Gaza aid incident, saying it "underscores the urgency of ending the negotiations as soon as possible," the White House said.

The Israeli military said there had been a "stampede" when thousands of Gazans surrounded a convoy of 38 trucks, leading to dozens of deaths and injuries, including some run over by the trucks. An Israeli source admitted that troops had opened fire on the crowd, believing it "posed a threat."

Gaza's Health Ministry condemned what it called a "massacre" in which 112 people were killed and more than 750 injured. The incident brings the number of Palestinians killed in the war to over 30,000.