Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ISRAELI SOLDIERS IN Gaza have been ordered repeatedly to fire on unarmed civilians when they approach humanitarian aid distribution sites, according to reporting from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Aid sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private entity the UN and NGOs have refused to deal with, have been the sites of regular massacres since the organisation began operating in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Israeli forces have also killed people near UN aid distribution sites.
Since 27 May, 549 people have been killed near aid sites in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
The United States approved $30m in funding for the GHF yesterday.
Soldiers who recently returned from Gaza have told Haaretz that officers are regularly ordering them to fire live ammunition at crowds of people as a means of telling them not to approach the aid sites until they are open.
This is despite the fact that the crowds of hungry people pose no threat to the troops.
“It’s a killing field,” one soldier said. “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.
Another soldier said they often open fire on people who arrive early looking for food.
“We open fire early in the morning if someone tries to get in line from a few hundred meters away, and sometimes we just charge at them from close range. But there’s no danger to the forces.”
I’m not aware of a single instance of return fire. There’s no enemy, no weapons.
One soldier said firing shells at civilians has become routine.
“You know it’s not right. You feel it’s not right – that the commanders here are taking the law into their own hands. But Gaza is a parallel universe. You move on quickly. The truth is, most people don’t even stop to think about it.”
Haaretz reported that Israel’s Military Advocate General has ordered an investigation be carried out by the branch of the military that looks into suspected war crimes.
One senior officer said that firing live ammunition at civilians “goes against everything the army is supposed to stand for”.
“Why are people collecting food being killed just because they stepped out of line, or because some commander doesn’t like that they’re cutting in?
“Why have we reached a point where a teenager is willing to risk his life just to pull a sack of rice off a truck? And that’s who we’re firing artillery at?”
While much of the world’s attention was drawn to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran, the Israeli war against Gaza has fallen down the list of priorities in the arena of international affairs.
“Gaza doesn’t interest anyone anymore,” said a reservist.
“It’s become a place with its own set of rules. The loss of human life means nothing. It’s not even an ‘unfortunate incident,’ like they used to say.”
Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Palestine? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online.
have your say