Israeli army officers admit shelling hungry civilians at Gaza aid points
Officials in Israeli army’s Southern Command acknowledge 'that civilians had been killed due to inaccurate and uncalculated artillery fire,� reports Haaretz daily
JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL
Israeli military officials admitted Monday that they fired on Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid at distribution points in Gaza, including with artillery shells, even when the civilians posed no threat to the forces, according to a report by Haaretz newspaper.
The admission followed a Friday report by the Israeli newspaper, which cited testimonies from soldiers and officers saying they were instructed to open fire on starving civilians gathered near aid centers.
Unnamed officials in the Israeli army’s Southern Command acknowledged “that civilians had been killed due to ‘inaccurate and uncalculated’ artillery fire,” according to the report.
They confirmed that “in the most serious incident involving shelling of civilians, between 30 and 40 people were targeted—some killed, others wounded to varying degrees.”
“The shelling was aimed at maintaining order at food distribution sites,” they added.
Despite the repeated deadly attacks on starving civilians, the officials asserted that the army has since shifted to “other methods.”
Since May 27, Israel and the US have implemented a limited aid distribution plan in Gaza, bypassing the oversight of the UN and international agencies.
Israeli forces have been firing on Palestinians waiting in line for food, effectively forcing civilians to choose between starvation and the risk of being shot.
At the same time, Israel has kept Gaza’s border crossings tightly sealed since March 2, allowing only a few dozen trucks to enter, while aid organizations estimate the territory needs at least 500 trucks daily to meet basic needs.
Southern Command officials also told Haaretz there is “no famine” in Gaza and claimed that “the population is generally satisfied with the food distribution process.”
However, they acknowledged that “much of the food brought in via aid convoys has been looted by clans” due to what they described as “Hamas' lack of control over large parts of the Gaza Strip.”
They added that the Israeli army “does not act against those looting the convoys,” saying: “Its responsibility lies in securing the entry of aid into Gaza, not its delivery to distribution points.”
Israeli soldiers revealed Friday that they have been deliberately firing on unarmed Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza, following direct orders from their commanders, according to Haaretz.
The report cited testimonies from soldiers who said they were instructed to shoot at Palestinian crowds near aid distribution sites, despite the civilians posing no threat.
One unnamed soldier described the situation as “a complete collapse of the Israeli army’s moral standards in Gaza.”
Another soldier told Haaretz: “It’s a killing zone. In the area where I was stationed, between one and five (Palestinians) were killed daily. They were treated as hostile forces.”
He admitted to using heavy weapons such as machine guns, grenade launchers, and mortars against ordinary Palestinians.
“We used live fire in every possible way. Once the center opened, we stopped shooting, and people knew they could approach. Our only means of communication was gunfire.”
The soldier added: “We fired early in the morning if someone tried to line up a few hundred meters away. Sometimes we attacked from close range. There was no threat to the Israeli forces.”
As of Sunday, Gaza's Government Media Office reported that at least 580 Palestinians had been killed and over 4,216 injured while attempting to access US-Israeli-distributed aid near humanitarian centers since May 27. An additional 39 people have gone missing.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has killed more than 56,500 Palestinians in a deadly onslaught in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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