IDF statement on Aid Convoy Stampede

[Yellowducksandrakes]

What’s happened: Following the death of dozens of Palestinians after a stampede broke out around an aid convoy west of Gaza City, the US has blocked an Algerian-sponsored statement at the United Nations Security Council which sought to blame Israel.

• While reports conflict, it appears that:
• Before dawn yesterday morning, approximately 30 trucks containing aid entered the Gaza Strip to deliver food to the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City.
• At approximately 4.40 AM, thousands of Gazans swarmed the trucks. Drone footage of the event shows some of the trucks attempting to drive through the crowds, presumably in an effort to extract themselves and deliver the aid they were carrying.
• After a number of trucks were able to continue north, armed men opened fire on what remained of the convoy.
• While the IDF has admitted that its troops did open fire, it says that this was only “when they encountered danger, when the mob moved toward it in a manner that endangered the force”.
• The IDF also says that it “did not fire toward individuals seeking aid and we did not fire toward the humanitarian convoy from the ground nor from the air.”
• It is being reported that at least 112 Gazans were killed in this incident, with approximately 760 being injured. However, as these figures originate from within the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health, their veracity is questionable.
• The IDF’s initial inquiry into the incident has concluded its troops’ fire killed only 7 or 8 people and that the majority were killed in the chaos, not by shooting.
• “The tanks were there to provide security for the trucks. Our aircraft gave the troops on the ground a full picture from above,” the IDF said.
• “When the hundreds turned into thousands, the IDF complied with international law… Israel did not limit the quantity of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. We recognize the suffering of the Gaza residents.”
• In the aftermath of this event, much of the international community has reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire and increased aid being allowed into the Gaza Strip.
• At the United Nations Security Council, Algeria sought to issue a statement which explicitly blamed Israel for this deadly incident. While supported by 14 out of 15 council members, it was blocked by the US.
• When asked why the US had not supported this statement, Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood said: “We don’t have all the facts on the ground – that’s the problem.”
• He also said that in the face of contradictory reports, the US was trying to establish facts, including regarding the “circumstances around how people died”.
• President Biden has also discussed this incident with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to a White House statement, they agreed that it “underscored the urgency of bringing negotiations to a close as soon as possible”.
• The White House has also called for this event to be “thoroughly investigated”.

Context: Israel will conduct a thorough investigation into an incident which further highlights the complexity of distributing aid to the Gazan people and the urgent necessity of forming a civilian infrastructure to prevent further incidents of this kind.

As I said, I condemn deliberate starvation.

Edited to remove a comment which I don't think will help. My condemnation of deliberate starvation is not partial or conditional.

Israel is a powerful military force, ranked 4th in the world. Fact.
Please, do not ignore the historical facts, relating to the actions of the Israeli government on the Palestinians civilians over the years and call it a false narrative. By doing this, you are minimising their suffering.
I am also waiting for an answer to the question I asked you previously: "if you believe that these feed into Israel's perspective, are you prepared to state that they must also feed into Hamas 'perspective?".

@Auvergne63 - of course the history feeds into the Palestinians perspective. Including those who choose to join Hamas.

The Israeli perspective I'm talking about is of being vulnerable and repeatedly attacked by hostile neighbours both within and outside their country. It justifies borders and checks. It obviously doesn't justify restriction of food.

The Palestinian perspective justifies a desire for fair legal treatment and self-government. It doesn't justify terrorist attacks on civilians

What I'm calling a false narrative is your portrayal of powerful Israel herding defenceless Palestinians into Gaza during the Nakba and putting a barbed wire fence around them so that they could steal their homes.

Disingenuous is the kindest interpretation.

I might have picked you up wrong then, I saw that you said you condemn the deliberate starvation of people but then I thought you said you didn't think Israel were doing that?

It might be useful to tag/quote the posts you are responding to because your statement on a false narrative came directly below the following post

As the Guardian says this morning, starvation in Gaza is man made, caused by an unwillingness by Israel to allow food in by road, which is the only unproblematic method. It is the last thing that I ever could have imagined that Israel would do, but they have, and it's an international disgrace.

So people assumed that is what you are calling a false narrative.

Thank you for answering my question. I appreciate it.
The Palestinian perspective justifies a desire for fair legal treatment and self-government.
I disagree with the term "desire". In my opinion, they have a right to these as much as Israel has a right to existence.
It doesn't justify killing people.
Do you also apply this to the Israeli government? I recognise that Israel has the right to self defence, as defined within International Laws; but can you justify the 30000 dead so far, in that context?

Ah, I can see reading back that I wasn't clear.

I do condemn starvation. It does look like restricting food is deliberate. Regardless of any military aim, that should be condemned. I was comparing that to @Scirocco condemnation of the October 7th atrocity. (Not comparing the crimes, only comparing the unconditional condemnation)

I don't think that Israel are trying to commit genocide or deliberately kill Gazans without military aim. I was comparing that to @Scirocco not believing that Hamas use hospitals and refugee camps as a shield. Again, not comparing the crimes. But both would be unjustifiable if true - but in the respective cases neither of us believe it.

Sorry, that post went in as I typed my comment. It was meant to be a continuation of my previous post.

Ah, we've fallen foul to timing again. As you were typing, I changed my comment to 'terrorist attacks on civilians' rather than killing to clarify.

Hamas military wing was estimated at 30-40 thousand at the start of the war. They're still fighting.

I do think that Israel is justified in fighting a war against them.

How much destruction is justifiable, how many civilian deaths? I don't know.

I do think that October 7th changed everything. No one can tell Israel not to defend themselves after that atrocity. And I don't think they would listen anyway.

@PeasfullPerson yes, although I think that many Israelis would agree with you. It's not everyone, but it is those in power, plus their supporters.

I do think that Israel is justified in fighting a war against them.
Absolutely but it is not justified to carry out war crimes and this is the issue. You can defend yourself but it has to be done within the parameters of the Geneva convention which Israel is a ratified party of.

How much destruction is justifiable, how many civilian deaths? I don't know.
You don't need to know because it is clearly set out in the Geneza convention that direct attacks on civilians are prohibited and collective punishment is also a war crime both of which Israel is doing.

The Geneva convention is working as intended.

It's providing the framework for Israel's allies to tell Israel to minimise civilian deaths and not obstruct aid - reminding them that this is what they agreed in the abstract, before the heat of war.

What's your expectation of it?

@statsfun but I didn't say I deny it or reject the concerns about it. I said I hadn't seen signs of it myself, referring to pre-7/10, with the caveat of not having personally inspected every hospital site pre-7/10. None of my colleagues had reported seeing pre-7/10 signs of it either.

It's a very serious matter that needs to be investigated, and there are definitely grounds to investigate it, given the reports from hostages and the finding of prescription medication with hostages' names on.

What's your expectation of it?
That the countries that ratify it stick to it.

Maybe it's being used to remind Israel to minimise civilian casualties but that's of little use to civilians if they don't listen

12 people drown after trying to get aid from the water https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/aid-drop-off-gaza-beach-leads-drownings-local-authorities-say-2024-03-26/

Icj has ordered Israel to make sure aid is allowed into Gaza https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20240328-pre-01-00-en.pdf

Just saw this on twitter

Five international aid workers from the World Central Kitchen were killed when their vehicle was struck by an airstrike conducted Israel.

ill warn you if you see something related with this there is a pic of the killed workers in case you want to avoid triggering pics (hence why I’ve not linked the tweet, I believe the two links I’m linking don’t contain these images )

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblogentry/palestinians-5-aid-workers-with-world-central-kitchen-killed-in-israeli-strike-in-gaza/

https://twitter.com/ytirawi/status/1774912680173650390

Apparently those murdered by Israel in this attack were from Australia, Poland, Palestine, Ireland and Britain. Horrific.

Wkc pausing the aid. They were killed as they were leaving the warehouse and were easily identifiable

https://wck.org/news/gaza-team-update

After all that’s happened I still find it possible to be shocked and appalled by the actions of the IDF. This is terrible news. Let’s stop sending them weapons! What type of bomb killed these aid workers? We can’t send bombs and aid workers! We should stop sending bombs!

Don't forget the sandwiches we air drop in. It's ridiculous. Our governments feed people, demand aid gets in, and also sends weapons to kill the same people they want to receive aid. Because that makes perfect sense.

Netanyahu says ‘these things happen in war’.

Where is his apology? Where is his empathy for the victims? Where is his recognition of the impact this will have on people starving in Gaza?

And why does he look so happy?

Even war (which this is not a war) have got rules. And if you break them you should be punished for it (and everyone that has enabled it)