Palestinians transport casualties following what Palestinian health officials said was Israeli fire on people waiting for aid, in Gaza City, in this still picture taken from a video Feb 29, 2024. (PHOTO / REUTERS)

UNITED NATIONS/GAZA/PARIS – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said the killing of over 100 people seeking humanitarian aid in Gaza was a situation that would require an effective independent investigation.

Speaking in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ahead of a regional summit, Guterres said he was "shocked" by the latest episode in the war with Israel, in which Palestinian authorities say over 30,000 civilians have been killed since Oct 7.

READ MORE: 112 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Israel fires on aid seekers

Responding to questions on the failure of a recent Security Council resolution seeking a ceasefire, he said worsening geopolitical divides have "transformed the veto power into an effective instrument of paralysis of the action of the Security Council".

I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.

Emmanuel Macron, President, France 

"I am totally convinced that we need a humanitarian ceasefire and we need the unconditional and immediate release of hostages and that we should have a Security Council able to achieve these objectives," said the UN chief.

Macron demands justice

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday he was angered by the shooting of aid-seeking Palestinians and demanded "truth and justice" regarding the role of Israeli soldiers in the incident.

"Deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers. I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law," Macron said in a post on X.

ALSO READ: China condemns killing of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza

He said it was imperative for an immediate ceasefire in the war to be put in place.

Speaking on France Inter radio on Friday, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said Paris would back the United Nations' call for an independent investigation.

In this screen grab taken from a video and released by the Israeli army on Feb 29, 2024, Palestinians surround aid trucks in northern Gaza in what officials described the day before as the first major delivery in a month. (IDF VIA AP)

"The humanitarian situation has been catastrophic for several weeks now and what happened is indefensible and unjustifiable. Israel needs to be able to hear it and it needs to stop," Sejourne told France Inter.

"We have gone a step further, people are fighting for food and there are riots. I heard the request from the Secretary General of the United Nations to open an independent investigation and I think that France will support this," he said.

An Israeli armored personnel carrier (APC) moves near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel, Feb 29, 2024. (AP / PHOTO)

‘7 hostages killed in Israeli attacks’

Hamas's armed wing said on Friday that seven Israeli captives had been killed by Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, where the Islamist group has been holding dozens of prisoners since the onset of the ongoing conflict.

The al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement that they had lost contact with some of their fighters who were guarding the captives, and that they had confirmed the deaths of seven captives after weeks of verification.

The group named three of the dead Israelis as Haim Gershon Perry, Yoram Etak Metzger, and Amiram Israel Kuper, and said it would reveal the identities of the other four later.

It also said that the total number of Israeli prisoners killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza could be more than 70.

Israel's military said in January that 136 people, including patients, wounded, elderly, children and women, were still being held in the Gaza Strip.