IDF to investigate deadly Gaza aid chaos, denies purposeful civilian harm

A spokesperson stated that the military possesses all the necessary resources to conduct a thorough inquiry and deliver the results. They dismissed allegations of intentional injury as unfounded.

The deaths of Palestinians queuing for aid in Gaza this week have caused anger and demands for an international inquiry. The Israeli military promised to undertake a comprehensive and honest investigation into the incident.

Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced that the findings of the fatal confrontation in Gaza City on Thursday, which resulted in hundreds of injuries and over 100 reported deaths as Palestinians surrounded aid trucks, will be disclosed to the public.

The IDF stated that numerous casualties occurred due to people being trampled in a disorderly rush for food supplies, while Hamas alleged that Israeli troops shot at the large crowd assembled there. The IDF asserts that its soldiers only fired at a few individuals who menacingly approached them.

Hagari announced during an evening press conference that they are conducting an inquiry into the incident. They have all the necessary footage to thoroughly investigate and uncover the truth. The findings will be presented after the investigation is complete

"The accusation that we deliberately targeted the convoy and caused harm to individuals is unfounded." "This was a humanitarian operation," he said.

While seeking assistance, some of the wounded individuals involved in the incident alleged that Israeli forces shot at them. Medical specialists in Gaza hospitals informed the UN that many of the wounded were being treated for gunshot wounds.

The New York Times cited eyewitnesses who reported that Israeli tanks and other soldiers shot at individuals trying to collect supplies from the convoy.

According to Hagari, the IDF did not shoot at those who were seeking assistance, despite the allegations.

The army has contested the mortality numbers, stating they were in the dozens, and asserted that the majority of the dead were crushed or run over as crowds surrounded the delivery vehicles. The soldiers denied shooting at the protesters approaching the truck.

The military acknowledged that as Gazans pushed the last vehicle in the convoy further south, warning shots were fired into the air. Subsequently, when several individuals approached soldiers and a tank at an IDF checkpoint, they were fired upon to protect the soldiers.

The deadly incident prompted intense demands for an investigation and was strongly condemned by Arab nations. The US, France, and Germany, as allies, also requested an explanation.

The UN Security Council voiced "deep concern" about the event in a statement released on Saturday night, mentioning that an Israeli inquiry is ongoing.

An Israeli official confirmed two occurrences that happened hundreds of metres apart on Thursday. Initially, many people were running over or crushed while trying to receive help from the trucks, leading to fatalities or severe injuries.

He alleged that another incident occurred as the trucks departed. He stated that a "limited response" led to the deaths of an unspecified number of soldiers when certain individuals from the crowd approached them due to feeling frightened.

In a Thursday night briefing, Hagari stated that many individuals were injured or murdered while attempting to take supplies from the trucks.

He stated that when the situation began to escalate, the tanks following the trucks withdrew and discharged warning shots to disperse the gathering.

He stated that there was no IDF strike specifically targeting the relief caravan.

Hagari, speaking in English, mentioned that the army fired warning shots to disperse the Palestinian throng. This morning, the IDF coordinated a convoy of 38 vehicles to provide additional aid to the residents of northern Gaza. The humanitarian aid reached Gaza and will be delivered by private contractors. It travelled from Egypt, and passed through security at Israel's Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing, as reported by Hagari.

Thousands of Gazans swarmed the vehicles delivering crucial humanitarian supplies, resulting in violent clashes, trampling, and looting among the crowd.

Here are the details: Hagari stated that the initial medical truck in the humanitarian convoy started passing through the secured humanitarian corridor at 4:40 a.m. "We positioned our tanks there to protect the humanitarian corridor used by the aid convoy." Our UAVs offered our troops an unhindered aerial perspective.

At 4:45 a.m., a group of people attacked the aid trucks, causing the convoy to stop. The individual showed a new video of the event.

He stated that the tanks protecting the convoy tried to disperse the throng by firing warning shots after observing the Gazans being trampled. The tank commander decided to leave to save the large number of Gazans present as the situation escalated from hundreds to thousands and became uncontrollable.

"Their retreat was executed with great caution." The army follows rules of engagement and international law. They were providing security backup without shooting at the mob, risking their own lives.

Hagari stated that there was no IDF strike targeting the relief caravan. The IDF was conducting an operation to secure the humanitarian corridor and facilitate the arrival of the aid convoy at its distribution site to deliver humanitarian supplies to the needy Gazan civilians in the north.

The US stated intentions to conduct the inaugural US military airdrop of food and supplies into Gaza following the event. The plan was executed on Saturday with the promise that it would be the initial of several others.