Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians near a convoy of aid trucks in Gaza City on Thursday, as the civilian death toll there continues to climb.

The incident drew conflicting accounts from Palestinian and Israeli officials and could complicate talks for a temporary ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, now approaching its fifth month.

🔎 What happened

In a statement, the Gazan health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said that at least 112 people were killed and more than 200 others injured by Israeli forces who witnesses said fired at residents as they waited for food and supplies from the convoy.

Israeli military officials said that its troops encountered a stampede as they tried to secure the road and fired warning shots before shooting “only in face of danger when the mob moved in a manner which endangered them.”

“We didn’t open fire on those seeking aid,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman. “Contrary to the accusations, we didn’t open fire on a humanitarian aid convoy, not from the air and not from land.”

The Israeli military released edited video footage taken by a drone showing a crowd of people climbing on top of aid trucks before the gunfire erupted.

🚨 A humanitarian crisis

Conditions are increasingly dire in Gaza, where one-quarter of its 2.3 million people face starvation, according to the United Nations.

Last week, the World Food Program said it was forced to pause deliveries to northern Gaza because it has become too dangerous to safely transport food there.

“The decision to pause deliveries to the north of the Gaza Strip has not been taken lightly, as we know it means the situation there will deteriorate further and more people risk dying of hunger,” the U.N.-backed group said.

➡️ Where do the ceasefire talks stand?

The deadly shooting in Gaza comes amid talks between Israel and Hamas and their Mideast and western counterparts over the release of hostages and a temporary ceasefire.

President Biden, who had earlier expressed hope for an agreement by the end of the upcoming weekend, told reporters Thursday that the bloodshed would complicate negotiations.

“I know it will,” Biden said.

🇵🇸 A mounting civilian death toll

International pressure has been mounting on Israel to agree to a ceasefire as the death toll rises.

On the same day of the aid convoy shooting, the Hamas-run health ministry said , with two-thirds of that figure being women and children.