The Israeli military admitted on Monday that its forces have killed Palestinians in Gaza near aid sites run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), but claimed the death toll from Gaza’s Health Ministry was exaggerated.
The admission came after the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israeli troops had been given orders to fire on unarmed Palestinians attempting to reach GHF distribution sites to drive them away or disperse them, even though they posed no threat.
The Israeli military has denied there are orders to fire on unarmed aid seekers and is claiming that its forces only used gunfire when they felt threatened, though the IDF is not claiming that any of the Palestinians it opened fire on near the aid sites were armed.
The IDF said that in a small number of cases, Palestinians were hit by Israeli fire and that in at least three incidents, aid seekers were hit with Israeli artillery, causing 30 to 40 casualties, including several dead. The IDF said the casualties “did not need to happen” and claimed they weren’t intentional, although testimony from Israeli soldiers speaking to Haaretz makes clear they were intentionally firing on civilians.
Based on Gaza’s Health Ministry’s latest numbers and the killing of Palestinians near aid sites on Monday, more than 600 aid seekers have been killed in Gaza since the GHF began operating at the end of May. While the IDF disputes the numbers, the figures align with daily reports coming out of Gaza, which have cited eyewitnesses, rescue workers, and medical staff at hospitals. Studies have also found that the Health Ministry’s overall death toll is likely a significant undercount.
The Trump administration recently announced it was providing the GHF with $30 million despite its role in the aid massacres. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce was asked on Monday if the Israeli military’s admission that it killed civilians near GHF sites would impact the funding, and she said no, then blamed Hamas for the massacres.
“Well, I think the answer to that certainly is no. The IDF and Israel have announced that they are, of course, investigating certain incidents,” Bruce said. “It is a good time for a reminder here that Hamas is responsible for the current situation in Gaza.”
