2024-03-03 13:09:00
Israel military releases updated timeline of Thursday’s Gaza aid disaster, again saying stampede preceded shooting
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Sunday released an updated timeline of events surrounding the deaths of more than 100 people in an aid convoy in northern Gaza on Thursday.
He claimed that a stampede began before Israeli troops fired their first warning shots, and that those shots were intended to disperse the crowd.
Israeli troops later fired on “looters” who approached them and “posed an immediate threat,” he said.
“Our initial review indicated that after warning shots were fired to disperse the stampede, and after our forces began to withdraw, several looters approached our forces and posed an immediate threat to them. Based on the initial review, soldiers responded to several people,” Hagari said in a video statement in English.
The account contradicts what witnesses told CNN after the disaster, in which at least 118 people died, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. CNN cannot independently confirm the figures due to the lack of international media access to Gaza during times of war.
Eyewitnesses, including local journalist Khader Al Za’anoun, said the chaos and confusion at the site only began when Israeli troops opened fire.
Most of the deaths and injuries occurred as a result of aid trucks crashing into people as drivers tried to escape gunfire, he said.
Hagari said in his statement Sunday that most of the injuries and deaths were a result of the stampede.
He said the IDF has opened an investigation “to further examine the incident, which will help us reduce the risk of such a tragic incident occurring again during one of our humanitarian operations.”
Transcript of the statement released by the IDF:
“In the early hours of Thursday morning, the Israel Defense Forces facilitated a humanitarian operation to help bring aid to civilians in northern Gaza.
This was the fourth night in a row that we facilitated such an operation, because we want humanitarian aid to reach Gazan civilians who need it.
You see, our war is not against the people of Gaza. Our war is against Hamas:
It was Hamas who started this war on October 7. It is Hamas that has caused immense suffering to civilians on both sides of the border.
The IDF has concluded an initial review of the unfortunate incident in which Gazan civilians were trampled to death and injured while charging at the aid convoy.
Our initial review has confirmed that the IDF did not carry out any attacks against the aid convoy.
Most Palestinians were killed or injured as a result of the stampede.
From the information we gathered from commanders and forces on the ground, our initial review indicated that after warning shots were fired to disperse the stampede, and after our forces began to withdraw, several looters approached our forces and represented an immediate threat to them. . According to the initial review, the military responded to several individuals.
As military professionals committed to international law, we are committed to examining our operations thoroughly.
We have opened an investigation to further examine the incident, which will help us reduce the risk of such a tragic incident occurring again during one of our humanitarian operations.
The incident will be examined by the Fact Investigation and Assessment Mechanism: an independent, professional and expert body.
In the interest of transparency, we will share updates as our exam develops, hopefully in the coming days.
I want to make something clear: our war is against Hamas, not the people of Gaza.
That is why we are providing help; create humanitarian corridors; establish unilateral humanitarian pauses; and exercise caution in our use of force.
“Israel and the international community are working together to allow the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza.”
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