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Israeli soldiers given orders to open fire on unarmed Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza

Israeli soldiers given orders to open fire on unarmed Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza
Israeli soldiers deployed around food-aid distribution points in Gaza say they were instructed to shoot at Palestinians even when no threat was present, according to an investigative report published Friday by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The paper, citing several unnamed combatants, describes a routine use of “unnecessary lethal force” to control crowds desperate for rations from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a joint Israeli- and US-backed relief initiative set up in May. “We fire...

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Israeli soldiers deployed around food-aid distribution points in Gaza say they were instructed to shoot at Palestinians even when no threat was present, according to an investigative report published Friday by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The paper, citing several unnamed combatants, describes a routine use of “unnecessary lethal force” to control crowds desperate for rations from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a joint Israeli- and US-backed relief initiative set up in May. “We fired machine-guns from tanks and threw grenades,” one soldier recalled. “During one foggy morning a civilian group advancing for aid was hit.” Another veteran of the same sector called the area “a killing field,” estimating that “between one and five people were killed every day.”

The Gaza Government Media Office says at least 549 Palestinians have been killed and 4,066 wounded while queueing for food since the GHF began operating. Aid agencies and local witnesses now refer to the centres as “death traps,” arguing that residents must choose between starvation at home and the risk of gunfire while seeking supplies.

IDF denies policy, launches inquiry

In a Telegram statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “strongly rejected” claims of deliberate attacks on civilians, pledging that “any allegation of a deviation from the law or directives will be thoroughly examined.” The Military Advocate General has instructed the army’s Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism—its internal war-crimes review panel—to investigate the incidents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz condemned the Haaretz exposé as a “blood libel” against the IDF. “Our soldiers receive clear orders to avoid harming innocent civilians, and they act accordingly,” they said, stressing that troops face militants who “operate from within the civilian population.”

Army denies policy, launches inquiry

In a Telegram statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “strongly rejected” claims of deliberate attacks on civilians, pledging that “any allegation of a deviation from the law or directives will be thoroughly examined.” The Military Advocate General has instructed the army’s Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism—its internal war-crimes review panel—to investigate the incidents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz condemned the Haaretz exposé as a “blood libel” against the IDF. “Our soldiers receive clear orders to avoid harming innocent civilians, and they act accordingly,” they said, stressing that troops face militants who “operate from within the civilian population.”

Accusations of “systematic genocide”

Gaza’s media office branded the revelations “further evidence that the Israeli occupation army is pursuing a systematic policy of genocide under the false guise of ‘relief’,” pointing to the alleged use of heavy machine-guns and artillery against peaceful gatherings.

From Amman, Al Jazeera correspondent Hamdah Salhut called the investigation “shocking,” noting that Palestinians now “either starve to death or die seeking the very little food offered by the GHF.”

Whether the internal IDF probe will satisfy international legal standards remains uncertain, but rights groups say the rising death toll at aid sites underscores the urgent need for an independent investigation.

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