Muscat: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The killing and wounding of civilians in the southern Gaza Strip while seeking food is unacceptable,” and called for an “immediate and independent” investigation. This was stated by Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq during his daily press briefing in Geneva, according to the UN News website.

According to Oman News Agency, on Tuesday morning, the Israeli occupation army committed a massacre against people waiting for aid at the Tahlia Roundabout in Khan Yunis Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of 51 Palestinians and injuries to more than 200, including 20 in critical condition. Commenting on the incident, Haq conveyed Guterres’ condemnation of “the loss of life and injuries among civilians in Gaza, who are once again being shot while seeking food.”

The UN Secretary-General affirmed that targeting people waiting for food under the blockade is “unacceptable.” Haq explained that Guterres “continues to call for an immediate and independent investigation and accountability” into reports of civilians being targeted in aid distribution centers in Gaza.

The UN official emphasized that the basic needs of the Palestinian population in Gaza are “enormous and remain unmet.” He stressed the necessity of restoring “immediate, widespread, and unhindered” humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip and the importance of allowing the United Nations and all humanitarian actors to operate safely and in full respect of humanitarian principles.

Amid the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, aid distribution centers have turned into ‘mass death traps,’ as massacres against civilians gathering there in hopes of obtaining food and water have been repeatedly reported, according to Palestinian and UN reports.