The UN Security Council underlined the importance of protecting Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip amid ongoing Israeli military operations and after the bloody incident during the distribution of humanitarian aid on Thursday.

“The sides are called upon to avoid depriving civilians in Gaza of basic services and humanitarian aid,” the Security Council said in a statement published on Saturday.

The council expressed “deep concern that the entire population (of the Gaza Strip), more than two million people, may face alarming levels of food insecurity,” the statement added.

Council member countries reiterated their request to the warring parties “to allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, rapid, safe, continuous and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid on a large scale to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip ».

They also called on Israel to keep border crossings open for aid to enter Gaza, facilitate the operation of additional crossings to address humanitarian needs on a large scale, and support the rapid and safe delivery of supplies to people throughout the Gaza Strip. .

The Security Council also expressed its concern over the incident that occurred on Thursday during the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza City, when dozens of Palestinians lost their lives.

Hamas’ health ministry accused Israeli soldiers of shooting and killing at least 115 people and injuring 760 others as they ran to receive humanitarian aid.

The Israeli army responded that civilians ran towards the trucks carrying the aid and dozens of them were trampled. He added that an investigation is underway into the incident.

The Security Council in its statement avoided assigning responsibility for the incident. It said only that there was involvement of Israeli forces when a crowd of people surrounded a convoy carrying humanitarian aid southwest of Gaza City.