Dozens of Gazans were injured in a stampede for humanitarian aid being delivered by the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday.
“Early this morning, during the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into the northern Gaza Strip, Gazan residents surrounded the trucks, and looted the supplies being delivered. During the incident, dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and trampling,” the IDF said.
According to an IDF source, following the incident, part of the crowd approached the soldiers accompanying the convoy “in a way that endangered our forces, who responded by firing.”
תיעוד אווירי של המבצע להכנסת סיוע הומניטארי לצפון רצועת עזה, המראה כיצד ההמון פלסטיני התנפל על המשאיות וכתוצאה מכך נהרגו עשרות מצפיפות, דוחק ודריסה>> pic.twitter.com/a7DqU9kKFB
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) February 29, 2024
The army said it is investigating the incident. According to Yoav Zitun, the initial investigation indicates that thousands of Gazans stampeded 30 aid trucks, as a result dozens of Gazans were killed. Some were run over by the trucks and others from being trampled. Some Gazans were shot by other armed Gazans. A group of Gazans ran past the trucks and towards the IDF soldiers and a tank at the checkpoint. Soldiers opened fire first in the air and only then at the lower bodies of the Gazans charging at them. According to the IDF report, most of the Gazans were killed by the trucks and trampling.
The Hamas terror group issued a statement saying the incident could shatter hopes of a temporary ceasefire and release of hostages.
To bypass Hamas’s hijacking of humanitarian aid deliveries entering Gaza through the Rafah, Israel began routing the trucks through the old Karni crossing directly to northern Gaza.
Also on Thursday, during a Jordanian military airdrop of humanitarian supplies into northern Gaza, strong winds blew some of the packages into Israeli territory.
The IDF stressed that the landings were accidental and that there were no fears of a security incident.
Since Feb. 27, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and France have dropped more than 45 tons of food, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid into the Strip.
At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the remaining 134 hostages, Israel recently declared 31 of them dead.
