Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Northern Gaza fired on a crowd of hundreds of starving Palestinians desperate for food being distributed by a humanitarian aid convoy of about 30 trucks around 4:00 a.m. today.
An IDF spokesperson stated the crowd was looting the trucks, and stated IDF soldiers felt threatened and fired warning shots as Palestinians came within tens of meters, then stated that they intentionally fired at the legs of the Palestinians in order to maim the civilians.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israeli Minister of National Security praised the soldiers, stating on X, “Total support must be given to our heroic fighters operating in Gaza, who acted excellently against a Gazan mob that tried to harm them. Today it was proven that the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza is not only madness while our abductees are being held in the Strip under substandard conditions, but also endangers the IDF soldiers. This is another clear reason why we must stop transferring this aid, which is in fact aid to harm the IDF soldiers and oxygen to Hamas.”
White House National Security Council released a statement on the incident, stating, “This is a serious incident and we are looking into the reports. We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognize the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families.”
The Gaza health ministry stated 107 people were killed, with hundreds more injured, as the Palestinian death toll has now surpassed 30,000 since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
Hamas claims Israeli soldiers intentionally fired on the civilians, with Hamas spokesman Izzat al-Rishq stating the massacre could end negotiations currently in progress with Israel.
The IDF claims their gunfire resulted in no more than 10 deaths, and the majority of the casualties were due people being trampled or run over by the crowd fleeing the gunfire, stating on X, “Aerial footage of the operation to bring humanitarian aid into the northern Gaza Strip, showing how the Palestinian crowd attacked the trucks and as a result dozens were killed from overcrowding, crowding and trampling >>”
