Israeli soldiers in Gaza are reportedly regularly ordered to open fire around GHF food distribution points, Haaretz reports. It is unclear whether the order to shoot comes from the army leadership or from lower commanders.
The Israeli newspaper spoke with soldiers and officers active in Gaza in recent times. They say that the Israeli army deliberately opens fire on Palestinians near aid locations.
That reportedly also happens when it is clear that the residents pose no threat to the present troops. The interviewees say that casualties are accepted as collateral damage. Moreover, it has become an almost daily practice, according to the interviewees.
After more than a month, the distribution of food by the controversial aid organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is still chaotic. According to local health workers, 549 people have died at distribution locations in the past month. More than four thousand Gazans were injured. It is unclear how many deaths and injuries are the result of Israeli fire.
“Our only means of communication is opening fire. That is problematic, to say the least,” one of the officers told Haaretz. The soldiers say that shooting is mainly done to make it clear that the aid locations are not yet open and people should therefore stay away.
‘Testimonies do not lie’
The article seems to provide answers to questions surrounding deaths and injuries at GHF food distribution points. “The IDF had already announced that it sometimes fired warning shots,” Middle East expert Peter Malcontent tells NU.nl. “But you fire those into the air: how is it then that people are killed?”
According to Malcontent, the testimonies do not lie. “It is something to take very seriously.” He emphasizes that Haaretz is a reputable newspaper with a large investigative editorial team. “They don’t rush into things.”
When the food packages have been distributed, Israeli soldiers regularly open fire again. The interviewees say that heavy resources are not shunned in the process. According to the soldiers, hand grenades are used and tanks are deployed.
Even more problematic is that artillery shells are also used for warning shots, even in crowded areas. “People act as if it is normal,” one of the sources says. “If there are any concerns about this way of acting, it is about whether we can continue fighting. The moral aspect is hardly discussed.”
It is not clear who the order comes from. That could be from lower commanders, but it could also come from higher circles in the Israeli army.
In any case, the interviewees question the actions of the local commanders. They seem to make their own rules and take matters into their own hands.
One of the officers says about this: “My biggest fear is that the shooting at the population is not the result of operational necessity or misjudgments, but of an ideology of the commanders. And that that way of thinking is passed on to the troops”.
The IDF says in a response that it is still learning how to act in situations such as at the aid locations. The army says that the troops have not been ordered to deliberately target the Gazans. If that has happened, it will be investigated.