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.

@QueenOfHiraeth sobering post and food for thought. Thank you.

Many posters can and do understand that what Hamas does and what the IDF does is wrong. Some posters can only condemn Hamas. I take issue with that given the slaughter of over 30,000 dead Palestinians.

I don't think anyone here thinks we're solving the issues. We're just talking. Also the marches are perfectly valid in that we can demonstrate to make our feelings known to our representatives. How else do we "push for peace", as you call it? Or do you mean we leave it to politicians?

Also I object to the notion that we can say "oh but both sides etc" when it comes to genocide.

Bit funny to see weekly marches in London billed as “virtue signalling marches in back water towns”

That’s how we signal to our government what we think their foreign policies and international diplomacy should be focussed on. By marching in our capitol city, which is one of the largest cities in the world, but even if it were tiny, it is still the centre of our nation’s government.

I agree with a lot of what you’ve said @QueenOfHiraeth but when the leaders in our country who are meant to have these diplomatic conversations turn a blind eye, we shouldn’t silently sit here assuming we have absolutely no powers and do nothing. It is our right to (respectfully and sensibly) protest on the streets and with our words. That is democracy.
Many people on this board have condemned both Hamas and IDF, but there are some on here who will defend the IDF no matter what they do and quite frankly after being called names by them and consistently having my words twisted around my patience has this evening run out.

"That’s how we signal to our government what we think their foreign policies and international diplomacy should be focussed on."

That can be done by writing to our MPs not be disrupting London City centre.

Policing the protests between October 7 and December 17 last year cost forces across the UK more than £25 million, to say nothing of all the officers having to be re-deployed.
That's a bill that has to be funded by every tax-payer. There isn't a bottomless pit of money.

And then some people complain about that ^ and others that they have been a victim of crime because the police aren't around. It seems they want it both ways.

Cheaper to stop supplying g weapons and call for an immediate ceasefire months and months ago.

Would have saved millions of pounds and precious human life.

Human life is important and protests to protect it is worth more than money.

Wrong.

"Cheaper to stop supplying g weapons" - so they buy them elsewhere or make their own.

"call for an immediate ceasefire months and months ago."

You can call for what you like, Hamas won't take any notice. So it seems you support unilateral disarmament ? Really?

I call for the end of a Genocide.
The end of the brutal massacre of innocent civilians.

I call for the end of a Genocide.
The end of the brutal massacre of innocent civilians.

Call for a bag of chips if you want - it won't alter anything.

You can repackage Israel all you want OP.
They have organised a Genocide and they will be held accountable.

Time will tell.

Eric cantonas post about this

"That can be done by writing to our MPs not be disrupting London City centre."

The majority of MP's just toe the party line. That's if they even bother to reply to you.

So that rebellion among Labour Front Bench MPs over a ceasefire was a figment of my imagination ??

You dont want protests OP because you want the crimes of genocide hidden.

They are and will be exposed.
Sorry for the inconvenience of a peaceful March to highlight the innocent slaughter of children.

@Yellowducksandrakes didn't make any difference though did it?

" You dont want protests OP because you want the crimes of genocide hidden."

OK, whatever you say.

"They are and will be exposed.
Sorry for the inconvenience of a peaceful March to highlight the innocent slaughter of children."

The fact that nothing's changed shows just how effective they are.🙄

Cheaper to stop supplying g weapons and call for an immediate ceasefire months and months ago.

There was a ceasefire months and months ago. Hamas broke it.

All valid points.

The police (1500 of them) were policing the protesters on Saturday. They could be doing other things but are needed to prevent the trouble makers who walk within taking over.

..but Hamas did, so what you are saying is that whatever else follows is Hamas's fault.
In other other words Israel can do no wrong.

Which tbh is exactly how they are behaving.

Fortunately (better late than never) the USA among others, is starting to call a different tune, would have been sooner if Biden was fit and proper to be POTUS.

Great idea @Yellowducksandrakes

In addition to using their right to free speech to protest people can also if they want to do the following.

• as you suggest contact their MP, and if they haven’t done so already, ask them to sign this letter asking for an arms embargo. https://progressive.international/wire/2024-03-01-we-will-not-be-complicit-in-israels-grave-violation-of-international-law/en

• donate to the UNWRA, British Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders (MSF). https://www.unrwa.org/

• aim to avoid companies that profit from genocide. https://bdsmovement.net/Act-Now-Against-These-Companies-Profiting-From-Genocide

I’m sure there will be more things I’m missing here.

Those protests are peaceful, they don't need 1500 officers and neither is the lack of police numbers elsewhere a reason to stop any protest.

Do you think our right to protest should be removed?

I think we need to push for a change to our democratic system so that after we have voted MPs into power they can’t ignore the public and act against their interests.

Well good luck with that one.

People have clamoured to get rid of the House of Lords since 1911 but it's still there.

but Hamas did, so what you are saying is that whatever else follows is Hamas's fault.
In other other words Israel can do no wrong.

It's not about "can do no wrong", it's the fact that it was entirely obvious what the Israeli response to a mass terror attack would be, ie they would want to wipe out Hamas operationally in Gaza. And Hamas knew this, and they didn't care, and now the inevitable consequence has occurred. It's of course horribly unfair on the innocent civilians but Hamas have spent years embedding themselves in Gaza like a malignant tumour, putting civilians directly in this position.
My saying this will be reas as defending Israel or justifying genocide, obviously, buy it's not, it's just insisting that culpability for this is placed at the correct door.

Hamas could have maintained the ceasefire that was in place on October 6. They could have handed the hostages back and ceased fire months ago. They have not. They are maintaining this hell for the civilians they supposedly lead.