Our initial review has confirmed that no strike was carried out by the IDF towards the aid convoy,” the IDF published in a statement.
DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD MARCH 3, 2024 11:32
Updated: MARCH 3, 2024 12:08
The IDF confirmed on Sunday morning that it had completed its review and found that no drone strike had occurred during an incident last week where Palestinians were trampled to death while attempting to charge an aid convoy.
“The IDF has concluded an initial review of the unfortunate incident where Gazan civilians were trampled to death and injured as they charged to the aid convoy. Our initial review has confirmed that no strike was carried out by the IDF towards the aid convoy,” the IDF published in a statement.
IDF Spokesperson Rear-Admiral. Daniel Hagari gave a press briefing in which he confirmed that Israel had been involved in the facilitation of the aid convoy in northern Gaza on Thursday.
The operation, aimed at ensuring Palestinians received access to humanitarian aid, was on the 4th night of operation when the trampling incident occurred.
“The IDF has concluded an initial review of the unfortunate incident where Gazan civilians were trampled to death and injured as they charged to the aid convoy. Our initial review has confirmed that no strike was carried out by the IDF towards the aid convoy.”Watch the full… pic.twitter.com/vrkC4nvYnI
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 3, 2024
Footage of the humanitarian aid airdrop to the Gaza Strip. (IDF Spokesperson’s unit)
“We want humanitarian aid to reach Gazan civilians in need,” Hagari asserted. “…Our war is not against the people of Gaza. Our war is against Hamas…It is Hamas who have caused immense suffering to civilians on both sides of the border,” Hagari said.
Describing the incident as “unfortunate,” Hagari reiterated that no strike was carried out on the aid convoy and that the majority of Palestinian casualties had been trampled to death by the stampede.
Hagari also claimed that the IDF had fired warning shots in an attempt to disperse the stampede and that IDF troops had begun retreating from the scene when looters began posing an immediate threat to the forces present. Hagari explained that it was due to this threat that IDF soldiers were forced to respond.
“As a professional military committed to international law, we are committed to examining our operations thoroughly,” Hagari reassured. “We have opened an inquiry to examine the incident further, which will help reduce the risk of such a tragic incident from occurring again during one of our humanitarian operations.
“The incident will be examined in the Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism, an independent, professional and expert body. For the sake of transparency, we will share our updates as our examination develops, hopefully in the coming days.”
Hagari insisted “We will continue expanding our humanitarian efforts to the civilian population in Gaza while we fulfill our goals of freeing our hostages from Hamas and freeing Gaza from Hamas.”
Hagari concluded by listing the humanitarian efforts made by Israel in hopes of “alleviating the suffering of civilians in Gaza” during the war against Hamas. He said that humanitarian efforts made by Israel would continue to expand with the help of international partners.
The IDF also confirmed that on Saturday, the US Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Gaza.
Additionally, over the past few weeks, in cooperation and coordination with several countries; Jordan, France, the UAE and Egypt, more than 450 packages of food and medical aid were distributed through 21 airdrops to the Gaza Strip.
Concern from international bodies
Only a day prior to the review publication, the United States blocked consideration of a United Nations Security Council resolution blaming Israel for the deaths that occurred during the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The United Nations Security Council expressed its “deep concern” on Saturday over last week’s aid distribution disaster in Gaza in which over 100 people were killed, the Jerusalem Post reported, as they urged improved access to basic necessities in the enclave including food.
“They [the UNSC] express grave concern over the estimation from the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) that all 2.2 million people in Gaza would face alarming levels of acute food insecurity,” the 15-member body said.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-789947#789947.