World reacts to Israel's carnage at Gaza aid site

Israeli troops in the northern part of besieged Gaza have opened fire on starving Palestinians scrambling for food aid, killing more than 112 civilians and wounding 760, sparking global condemnations with Palestinian envoy to the UN saying dozens of the victims were "shot in the head."

Here are some of the initial reactions to the carnage:

Türkiye condemns 'crime against humanity'

Türkiye accused Israel of committing "another crime against humanity" and condemning Gazans to "famine" as civilians scavenge for dwindling supplies of food.

"The fact that Israel... this time targets innocent civilians in a queue for humanitarian aid, is evidence that [Israel] aims consciously and collectively to destroy the Palestinian people", the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

US 'pressing for answers'

US President Joe Biden has said the incident would complicate delicate ceasefire negotiations in the almost five-month-old war, with the White House calling the deaths "tremendously alarming".

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters the United States was "urgently seeking additional information on exactly what took place".

Washington will be monitoring an upcoming investigation closely and "pressing for answers", he said.

UN appalled by tragic human toll

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the incident and was "appalled by the tragic human toll of the conflict", his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"The desperate civilians in Gaza need urgent help, including those in the besieged north where the United Nations has not been able to deliver aid in more than a week," Dujarric said.

Iran and OIC condemn 'heinous massacre'

Iran and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued separate statements condemning Israel's firing on civilians awaiting humanitarian aid in Gaza, killing dozens.

"More than 100 Palestinian citizens who were waiting in line to receive humanitarian aid on Al-Rashid Street in Gaza were martyred, more than 800 people were injured due to the barbaric attack by the Zionist Regime," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on X.

"The wound of Gaza will not be erased from the memory of the free people of the world, and the shame of supporting and remaining silent towards the mass killing and genocide of Palestinians by the criminal Zionist regime will be evident on the foreheads of the false champions of #HumanRights in the #UnitedStates and #Europe," Kanaaini added.

In a statement, the OIC said it "condemns in the strongest terms the continued massacres and war crimes committed by the Israeli occupation army, the latest of which was the heinous massacre against Palestinian citizens who were waiting for aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout near Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City, which led to the martyrdom and injury of hundreds of them."

France says killings 'unjustifiable'

France's Foreign Ministry said "the fire by Israeli soldiers against civilians trying to access food is unjustifiable".

The "tragic event" came as an "increasing and unbearable number of Palestinian civilians" were suffering from hunger and disease, it added, saying Israel must abide by international law and protect aid deliveries to civilians.

Writing on the social media platform X that Palestinian "civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers", French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "strongest condemnation" of the killings.

Palestine says victims shot in head

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN has accused Israel of "deliberately and systematically" targeting a humanitarian convoy, saying according to his information, dozens of the 112 Palestinians killed were shot in the head.

Riyad Mansour told reporters ahead of a closed emergency meeting of the UN Security Council afternoon that according to his information, every few days, trucks with humanitarian supplies, including flour, sugar and other basic necessities, travelled to the same place in northern Gaza to give desperately needed help to Palestinians in need.

He said the trucks did the same thing earlier on Thursday, and thousands of Palestinians were there.

"And then all of a sudden, the Israel army started firing at them and shooting, and according to the information that we have, dozens of them have bullets in their heads," he said. "It's not like, you know, firing in the sky to restrain people if there was confusion and chaos," Mansour said.

"It was intentionally targeting and killing, and the number that we have now is 112 have been killed, and the number is increasing, and 750 injured, and possibly the number would be increasing."

EU decries 'carnage'

European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell denounced the killings as "totally unacceptable".

"I am horrified by news of yet another carnage among civilians in Gaza desperate for humanitarian aid," he said on X.

Colombia scraps Israel arms purchases

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro denounced what he called a "genocide" of the Palestinian people and suspended purchases of weapons from Israel, a key supplier of his country's security forces.

"Asking for food, more than 100 Palestinians were killed by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu. This is called genocide and recalls the Holocaust," Petro wrote on X.

"The world must block Netanyahu."

Spain condemns 'unacceptable' incident

"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," Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares wrote on X.

Italy demands 'immediate ceasefire'

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza and urged Israel to protect the Palestinian population after the "tragic deaths".

"We strongly urge Israel to protect the people in Gaza and to rigorously ascertain facts and responsibilities," he said on X.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her "deep dismay and concern" over the violence.

Qatar denounces 'heinous massacre'

Qatar's Foreign Ministry condemned "in the strongest terms the heinous massacre committed by the Israeli occupation", calling for "urgent international action" to halt the fighting in Gaza.

It went on to warn that Israel's "disregard for Palestinian lives... will ultimately undermine international efforts aimed at implementing the two-state solut ion, and thus pave the way for the expansion of the cycle of violence in the region".

Saudi Arabia calls for ceasefire

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry condemned the deaths and reiterated "the need to reach an immediate ceasefire".

It also renewed its "demands to the international community to take a firm position to oblige Israel to respect international humanitarian law, immediately open safe humanitarian corridors, allow the evacuation of the injured, and enable the delivery of relief aid".

Portugal 'deeply shocked'

Portugal's foreign minister expressed grave concern over the Israeli army’s killing of civilians awaiting aid in Gaza, calling on Israel to comply with provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice [ICJ].

"Deeply shocked by the death in Gaza of over 100 people while waiting to receive aid," Joao Gomes Cravinho wrote on X, saying civilians and humanitarian operations must be safe under international humanitarian law.

Israel responsible for Gaza carnage: MSF

Dr Isabelle Defourny, President of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, expressed deep shock at today's developments in Gaza City, stating, "The situation is truly horrifying. While our staff were not present during the incident, poor telecommunication services hinder our ability to reach medical personnel in northern Gaza. The overall situation, especially in the north, is nothing short of catastrophic."

"We consider Israel responsible for the situation of extreme deprivation and despair which prevails in Gaza — particularly in the north — which led to today’s tragic events," MSF president added.