Israel blames Palestinians for Gaza aid convoy deaths — RT World News
The Israeli army claimed that its forces fired only to protect themselves from the hungry crowd
The Israeli military claimed that most of the Palestinians killed when troops opened fire on a crowd of people gathered near an aid convoy in the Gaza Strip died as a result of the stampede – not gunshots.
“The IDF has completed a preliminary review of the unfortunate incident in which civilians in Gaza were trampled to death and injured while en route to an aid convoy.” Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Sunday in a statement: “Our initial review confirmed that the Israeli army did not carry out any strike against the aid convoy.”
The statement came amid international protests over the deaths of more than 100 people and the injury of 750 others as hungry civilians waited for food aid in the besieged Palestinian enclave on Thursday. The health authorities in Gaza accused the Israeli forces of committing murder 'Unprovoked attack' on civilians, and UN investigators reported A “A large number of bullet wounds.”
“The IDF has completed an initial review into the unfortunate incident in which civilians in Gaza were trampled to death and injured while en route to an aid convoy. Our initial review confirmed that the IDF did not carry out any strike against the aid convoy. pic.twitter.com/vrkC4nvYnI
– Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 3, 2024
Hagari essentially repeated claims he made before the IDF investigation, saying troops were facilitating aid deliveries and fired warning shots as civilians moved toward the humanitarian convoy within sight of the trucks. “Most Palestinians were killed or injured as a result of the stampede.” He said.
The spokesman claimed that after warning shots were fired to disperse the crowd, the IDF soldiers began to retreat. He added at that moment, “Several bandits approached our forces and posed a direct threat to them. According to the initial review, the soldiers responded to a number of individuals.”
Israel will conduct further investigations into Thursday's incident “independent” Hajjari said the Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism (FFAM) will be established to help prevent such tragedies in the future. “Our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza.” He insisted. He added: “This is why we are facilitating aid, establishing humanitarian corridors, imposing a unilateral humanitarian truce, and being cautious in our use of force.”
More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October, and the United Nations estimates that 570,000 people are suffering from hunger. Hamas sparked the conflict by launching surprise raids on villages in southern Israel, killing more than 1,100 people and taking hundreds of hostages to Gaza.
The Israeli government has vowed to eliminate Hamas and blames the group for exposing Gaza residents to harm by launching and coordinating attacks from civilian areas. Hamas has ruled the Strip since 2007.
