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.

ConnieCounter · Today 08:14

Mumsnetters who are more offended by a protest than a genocide blow my mind.

That is not the same thing at all!

The post implies that if you criticise the behaviour on the protests it means you don’t care about the suffering of people in Gaza .

For clarity - I definitely think there should be a ceasefire. The appalling plight of Gazans is intolerable. I think Netanyahu’s government must go ( as well as Hamas)
I do have concerns about the polarisation of politics and the way this conflict is causing divisions among communities here in UK.
It’s wrong to imply that if you are uncomfortable with the protests it means you don’t want a ceasefire or don’t care .

Protest is the only way people can show their displeasure, we have GE's every 5 years normally, so what else is there to do?

imho peaceful protest should be encouraged, there is nothing to be concerned about, the extremists are being arrested, the protest is very well organised.

Perhaps when the UK falls in behind the growing calls for an immediate ceasefire, the need to protest will diminish?

Yes- let’s hope there is soon no need for the protests.

All of these points are obvious and valid (except for the last one which we've agreed to disagree on). The problem is where one's "concern" turns into trying to stop other people from exercising their democratic rights.

No, my post was in reference to people not commenting on the heinousness of the Flour Massacre (the subject of this thread), but then hopping up and down in outrage over protests. It's been happening since October on these boards.

I find it difficult to comment on some of the recent events happening in a war zone because it’s so hard to work out what is accurate reporting. That doesn’t mean to say I think the Gazan people are to blame for their suffering- I don’t - I blame Hamas and the Netanyahu government.
I only comment on things closer to home because I feel more sure of my facts.

Ceasefires are never unilateral nor do they involve disarmament.

“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.”

If they’d listened and pushed for a ceasefire, could have saved much of the £85million in aid sent to Palestinians territories. Even if they listen now, that is still an overall savings.

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

Yes write a letter to your MP instead of going on a peace march on a Saturday afternoon when no one’s work is being disrupted. Many are doing both.

The police at the protests are on overtime. They don’t leave all of London without police to cover a March.

@Cherryon "Ceasefires are never unilateral nor do they involve disarmament."

OK, so maybe you could have a word with Hamas who are holding this up?

The latest news on the conflict;-

After what had initially appeared to be a promising week of negotiations, talks between Israel and Hamas have now stalled.

While Israel is understood to have agreed in principle to a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the release of elderly, unwell, and female hostages, Hamas refused to provide a list of those who are still alive.

(Why am I not surprised? Hamas know if Israel find out how many hostages are dead they won't want to negotiate.)

While talks including a Hamas delegation continue in Cairo, Israel has not sent a delegation of negotiators given Hamas’s unsatisfactory response.

Israeli officials said that Sinwar’s refusal to provide the required information stems from his “desire to set fire to the ground and to cause bloodshed during Ramadan.”

Yet again, can we stop pretending Israel wants a ceasefire? Sometimes this place is like an alternate universe.

Please read my post at 13.55 - it is quite clear where the hold-up is.

Yeah no problem. Sinwar is my BFF don’t you know? I’ll contact him on WhatsApp and ask him what is up with not having a list that wasn’t required for the last hostage release. Israel isn’t even agreeing to go to Cairo to discuss, I think that may hold up the agreement more than any list demand.

Who is responsible for a ceasefire hold up is defined as follows:

Hamas demands x, Israel refuses= Hamas fault
Israel demands x, Hamas refuses= Hamas fault

Yup, you got it

https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1709491965-sinwar-tries-to-sabotage-hostage-deal-hopes-to-spark-a-wider-conflagration-during-ramadan-report

Israeli spokespeople and politicians including Netanyahu have said from day 1 they don't want a ceasefire. Repeatedly. So there's your hold up. They want to destroy Rafah first, maybe kill another few thousand kids, then maybe they'll consider it.

Link please.

I'm not your PA, I'm sure you can manage to google this yourself. Last month he said no to a ceasefire because he wants "total victory" in Gaza, by which he means the destruction of Rafah.

Hamas are not negotiating in good faith. There is zero legitimate reason for them to have taken hostages.

For Sinwar and his allies, this is some kind of sick game, where he is using human beings as pawns to try and get Israel to overreact and lose their international support.

To be fair, Israel have been both stupid and cruel enough to play right into his hands. They don’t seem to know the difference between combatants and civilians and don’t seem to realise killing all the police and administrators will lead to anarchy. Also not allowing the population back to N Gaza any time soon and forcing them into a smaller and smaller area fits the definition of ethnic cleansing pretty well.

But you can’t just have a ceasefire in the middle of a campaign unless there is some clear guarantees to both sides of what comes after. Otherwise it is totally pointless and just prolongs the suffering,

Since Connie wont back up their claims, I've had a Google and the latest I can find about whether Israel wants a ceasefire is below. They want names if which hostages are still alive before negotiations, seems reasonable?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68461543

But you can’t just have a ceasefire in the middle of a campaign unless there is some clear guarantees to both sides of what comes after. Otherwise it is totally pointless and just prolongs the suffering,

This is my concern. You have a ceasefire, and then what, if Hamas is still in control. Another attack, another retaliation, and nothing changes?