Israeli soldiers ordered to shoot at Gazans near aid sites, report says

Deadly incidents raised questions about whether GHF aid initiative can deliver food supplies safely

Palestinians wait to receive aid near a US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centre in Khan Younis. AFP

Israeli soldiers and officials allege they were given orders to deliberately shoot Palestinians near aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip, a report has shown.

The report published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Friday said commanders ordered troops to fire at crowds to drive them away or disperse them, even though it was clear the people posed no threat.

Israeli authorities have previously denied soldiers fired directly at desperate civilians seeking aid at distribution centres run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

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At least 549 Palestinians have been killed while waiting for food aid near the GHF distribution centres since they began operating late in May, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The dead include 93 killed by Israeli gunfire as they approached UN aid lorries, Thameen Al Kheetan, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said this week.

"It's a killing field," one soldier told Haaretz. "Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day. They're treated like a hostile force – no crowd-control measures, no tear gas – just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars. Then, once the centre opens, the shooting stops, and they know they can approach. Our form of communication is gunfire.

"We open fire early in the morning if someone tries to get in line from a few hundred metres away, and sometimes we just charge at them from close range. But there's no danger to the forces,” said the soldier.

The soldier said he was unaware of "a single instance of return fire. There's no enemy, no weapons".

Thousands of starving Palestinians typically gather near the sites. The scenes have been chaotic, turning deadly as people rush when gunfire is heard.

One officer told the newspaper that there were casualties and injuries among the Israeli army in some incidents.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israeli Katz issued a joint statement dismissing the claims in the Haaretz report as "contemptible blood libels" and "malicious falsehoods" intended to defame the Israeli military.

Israel imposed a blockade on aid deliveries in Gaza for two and a half months from March 2, accusing Hamas of seizing food and supplies meant for hungry Palestinians.

The GHF opened sites around the enclave, secured by a private security force and Israeli troops, to prevent the alleged Hamas looting. The deadly incidents near the site have raised further questions about whether the militarised aid initiative can deliver food supplies safely.

The UN and international NGOs have refused to work with the GHF. The US State Department on Thursday confirmed that it is providing $30 million in direct funding to the aid group.

The head of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced on Thursday that it had delivered its first medical supplies into Gaza since early March, including reserves of blood and plasma. Separately, a few dozen aid lorries entered northern Gaza on Wednesday.

Dozens of people seeking aid at GHF sites have gone missing, failing to return home, their families have reported to rights groups and authorities in Gaza.

In addition to the Israeli army opening fire, Haaretz also cited sources as saying some of the deaths near the aid distribution sites had been caused by gunfire from Israel-backed armed clans. One officer said the army continued to back the Abu Shabab group.

Gaza residents and human rights groups have accused the Yasser Abu Shabab Popular Forces of crimes from looting of aid to firing at, kidnapping and beating Palestinians who seek it.

The report also cited an Israeli army representative, who did not directly address the allegations raised by the soldiers and officers.

The representative said after reports of "harm to civilians arriving at distribution centres, in-depth investigations were conducted, and instructions were given to forces on the ground based on lessons learnt".