Israel says its forces ‘fired precisely’ amid aid convoy chaos

Israeli soldiers shot “precisely” at Gazans who approached them during a chaotic scene at an aid convoy in northern Gaza last week, leading to the deaths of dozens of Palestinians, but they did not fire at the convoy itself, the Israeli army said on Friday. after an initial internal assessment.

The account differs sharply from that of witnesses and Palestinian officials who described extensive shootings after thousands of desperate Gazans gathered around an aid convoy organized by Israel. The deaths sparked global outrage and underscored widespread hunger and hopelessness in northern Gaza, where five months of war and little aid have pushed many to the brink.

The initial assessment largely matched Israel’s early account of the disaster, repeating claims that many civilians were injured or killed in a stampede as they crowded around aid trucks. It said Israeli forces had opened fire on dozens of Gazans who approached them.

Officials in Gaza did not immediately respond to the Israeli review.

The Israeli military said the investigation found that the soldiers had fired “precisely” at people who approached them, in what they said was an effort to keep “suspects” at bay.

“As they approached, the troops fired to eliminate the threat,” the report said in a statement summarizing the investigation’s findings.

Hours after the disaster, doctors in Gaza described dozens of casualties in area hospitals, many killed or injured by gunfire.

An investigative committee appointed by Israel’s military chief of staff will continue to investigate the incident, the army said. Some say human rights organizations that the Israeli military has no independent accountability mechanisms and rarely punishes soldiers for harming Palestinians in disputed circumstances.