As mentioned in a previous post (see 11.28), some Israeli officials appear to have provided varying explanations as to events that led to the deaths of Palestinians attempting to collect flour from a humanitarian aid convoy in Gaza City yesterday.
While some elements of those explanations have been similar, there have also been apparent differences in the details of those accounts, particularly around reports of Israeli soldiers opening fire.
In a report at 11.38am UK time yesterday, Reuters cited an Israeli source as saying Israeli troops opened fire at “several people” among a crowd that surrounded aid trucks in the Gaza Strip after feeling under threat.
In a post on X at 1.20pm UK time yesterday, the IDF said that “dozens of Gazans were injured and killed” due to “pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks”, but did not mention troops having opened fire.
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Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian posted about details of an “initial probe” by the IDF yesterday, which he reported had found that, after a stampede, some of the trucks continued further north, where “armed men” opened fire on some of the aid trucks and “looted it”.
He also cited the IDF investigation as saying Palestinians “began to move toward an IDF tank and troops stationed at the military’s checkpoint”.
And, he reported, the IDF said an officer in the area “ordered to fire warning shots in the air as the Palestinians were within a few dozen metres, as well as gunfire at the legs of those who continued to move toward the troops”.
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Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman later said “Gazan civilian drivers ploughed into the crowds of people”.
When asked by Sky News if live fire was used by the IDF, Mr Hyman said he could not confirm whether it had been.
The Associated Press reported later yesterday that Israeli officials, who insisted on anonymity, had acknowledged their troops opened fire on the crowd, but did so after it approached in a threatening way.
Far-right Israeli government minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a tweet: “Total support must be given to our heroic fighters operating in Gaza, who acted excellently against a Gazan mob that tried to harm them.”
He went on to claim that the incident “proved the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza” was “madness” and insisted “we must stop transferring this aid”.
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In an interview with CNN yesterday evening, it was put to Israeli spokesperson Mark Regev that IDF officials had admitted opening fire.
He responded: “That’s a separate incident, not connected to the tragedy with the trucks. That was different place, different time. In the general location, but not the same incident at all.”
“We are not aware that the IDF fire caused casualties at all.”
Rear admiral Daniel Hagari said in a news conference last night that a “mob ambushed” an aid truck, claiming: “The tanks which were there to secure the convoy sees the Gazans being trampled and cautiously tries to disperse the mob with a few warning shots.”
Speaking to Sky News today, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said: “The only place where the IDF opened fire was on people that endangered our forces.
“Certain people moved towards our forces in an endangering way and we had to respond.”
He insisted that was “not in a lethal way” and that troops had merely “tried to just make sure that they distanced themselves from our forces”.
“There was no such occasion where we intentionally fired on people trying to get the aid,” he added.
The Israeli accounts are at odds with those from Palestinian witnesses who claim Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd.
The acting director of the Al-Awda Hospital said the facility received 161 wounded patients, most of whom appeared to have been shot – while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said an “ugly massacre” had been carried out by Israeli troops.
