The Israeli military released an updated timeline for the Gaza aid disaster on Thursday, saying again that the stampede preceded the 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 the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday.
He claimed that a stampede began before Israeli troops fired their first warning shots and that these shots were intended to disperse the crowd.
Israeli troops later fired on the “looters” who approached them and “posed an imminent threat,” he said.
“Our initial review revealed that several looters approached and posed an imminent threat to our forces after warning shots were fired to disperse the stampede and after our forces began withdrawing. Based on the initial screening, soldiers responded to several people,” Hagari said in a video statement in English.
The report 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 because international media access to the Gaza Strip is not possible during wartime.
Eyewitnesses, including local journalist Khader Al Za'anoun, said the chaos and confusion at the scene only began when Israeli troops opened fire.
Most of the deaths and injuries resulted from relief trucks colliding with people while drivers tried to escape the gunfire, he said.
Hagari said in his statement on Sunday that most of the injuries and deaths resulted from the stampede.
He said the IDF had launched an investigation “to further investigate 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, Israeli forces facilitated a humanitarian operation to bring aid to civilians in the northern Gaza Strip.
This was the fourth night in a row that we have facilitated such an operation because we want humanitarian assistance to reach the civilian population in Gaza that needs it.
You see, our war is not against the people of Gaza. Our war is against Hamas:
It was Hamas that started this war on October 7th. It is Hamas that has caused immense suffering to civilians on both sides of the border.
The IDF has completed an initial investigation into the unfortunate incident in which civilians in the Gaza Strip were trampled to death and injured as they rushed towards the aid convoy.
Our initial review 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 onslaught.
From the information we collected from commanders and forces on the ground, our initial review revealed that after warning shots were fired to disperse mass panic and our forces began to withdraw, several looters approached our forces and posed an imminent threat to them represented. . According to the initial review, the military responded to multiple individuals.
As military professionals committed to international law, we are obliged to thoroughly examine our operations.
We have launched an investigation to further investigate the incident. This will help us reduce the risk of such a tragic incident occurring again during one of our humanitarian operations.
The incident is being investigated by the Fact Investigation and Assessment Mechanism: an independent, professional and expert body.
In the interest of transparency, we will post updates as our review develops, hopefully in the coming days.
I want to make something clear: our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza.
That's why we provide help; creation of humanitarian corridors; introduce unilateral humanitarian pauses; and exercise caution when using force.
“Israel and the international community are working together to enable the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza.”