Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry “strongly condemns the deliberate killing of dozens of defenceless Palestinian civilians and the wounding of hundreds” after the Israeli army opened fire on a crowd of people seeking humanitarian aid near Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement posted on X, the ministry said the incident fell “within the framework of the policy of mass starvation and extermination of the Palestinian people, which drives them to despair and adds fuel to the fire”.

This “lowers the chances of a just and comprehensive peace” being achieved, it said

It also called for an end to this “absurd war that increases extremism and hatred” and for the establishment of an international investigation committee to determine the responsibilities for Thursday’s incident and ensure accountability.