Following Al-Rashid street massacre, UN calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, urges conducting credible investigation

The United Nations and several countries called for ceasefire for humanitarian reasons in Gaza Strip, urging an immediate “independent and credible investigation” into Israeli killings of more than 100 Palestinian civilians awaiting aid in Gaza.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson of UN Chief Antonio Guterres said in a briefing on Friday: “The Secretary-General himself said yesterday, that there needs to be an independent and credible investigation into what happened”.

There needs to be “accountability for everything that has happened since October 7,” said Dujarric.

On Thursday, Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid at the Al Nabulsi roundabout on Al Rashid Street, leaving at least 112 Palestinians dead and 760 injured.

Dujarric further noted that a team of UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), World Health Organization and UNICEF staff visited the Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

“They brought with them medicines, vaccines and fuel to help ensure that the medical facility remains functioning,” he said.

Stating that the hospital received more than 700 people who were injured while seeking life-saving aid on Thursday, Dujarric said the Shifa hospital told UN team that “they had received the bodies of more than 70 people who were killed yesterday.”

He also added that the aid brought to the hospital was the first time that the UN “had a UN convoy able to deliver aid into northern Gaza in over one week.”

For his part, and in a face-saving step against the backdrop of the Israeli atrocities in Gaza, US President Joe Biden talked about his country’s intention during coming days to carry out a first military airdrop of food and supplies into the besieged Gaza Strip.

Hamda Mustafa