'Deeply shocked': India on civilian deaths in Gaza during aid delivery

New Delhi: India on Friday said it is 'deeply shocked' at the loss of lives in northern Gaza during the delivery of humanitarian aid, a day after more than 100 people were killed and over 700 injured in an incident.

In a strongly-worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said such loss of civilian lives and the larger humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be a cause for 'extreme concern'.

'We are deeply shocked at the loss of lives in northern Gaza yesterday during delivery of humanitarian assistance,' the MEA said.

'Such loss of civilian lives and the larger humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be a cause for extreme concern,' it added.

India also called for safe and timely delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance to the people of Gaza.

'We reiterate our call for safe and timely delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance,' the MEA said.

There was no reference to Israel in the statement.

More than 100 people were killed and over 700 injured when Israeli troops fired on a large crowd of Palestinians trying to pull food off an aid convoy in Gaza, according to reports.

India has been calling for de-escalation of the situation and creating conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations towards a two-state solution to the Palestine issue.

There have been sharp international reactions to the incident, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres strongly condemning it.

'I condemn Thursday's incident in Gaza in which more than 100 people were reportedly killed or injured while seeking life-saving aid,' he wrote on X.

'The desperate civilians in Gaza need urgent help, including those in the north where the UN has not been able to deliver aid in more than a week,' Guterres added.

Israel has been continuing its military offensive in Gaza as part of its retaliation to an unprecedented attack on Israeli cities by Hamas on October 7 last year.

Hamas killed around 1,200 people in Israel and abducted more than 220, some of whom were released during a brief ceasefire.

More than 29,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the Israeli offensive, according to Hamas-run authorities in Gaza.