In a rare acknowledgment of potential misconduct, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched an internal investigation into allegations that its troops deliberately fired on Palestinian civilians gathering at humanitarian aid distribution points in Gaza. The announcement comes as Gaza’s health authorities report more than 500 deaths in the vicinity of aid sites since late May—and as a fresh Israeli airstrike killed 18 people collecting flour in central Gaza. The unfolding inquiries and mounting civilian casualties have drawn international concern over the conduct of both ground troops and air forces in densely populated areas already ravaged by conflict.
Background: Aid Delivery in a Besieged Territory
Since mid-May, after a two-month blockade, Israel has allowed only limited humanitarian supplies into Gaza. The primary channels—United Nations–supported convoys and four distribution hubs run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—have struggled to meet the basic needs of more than two million residents. Desperation over food shortages has repeatedly erupted into violent scuffles, looting of aid trucks, and crowd control operations by Israeli forces.
Local security units, including the Sahm (Arrow) gang-cracking outfit affiliated with Gaza’s Hamas-led Interior Ministry, have sought to protect convoys from criminal gangs and black-market merchants. Yet these civilian-run efforts have placed aid distributors and recipients directly in harm’s way as both ground and air operations intensify.
Allegations Prompt IDF War Crimes Probe
According to an exclusive report in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, the IDF’s Military Advocate General (MAG) has instructed its International Law Division to investigate whether soldiers used “unnecessary lethal force” against unarmed civilians near GHF distribution sites. Haaretz cited unnamed soldiers who claimed orders from their commanders to shoot at crowds that posed no tangible threat—ostensibly to “keep them back” from frontline positions. Eyewitnesses and video footage obtained by human rights groups appear to show people running or awaiting rations when they were hit by live fire.
A Haaretz-quoted MAG spokesperson stated that, following field reports of civilian harm, “the army conducted preliminary inquiries and reinforced rules of engagement to minimize friction between troops and the local population.” The formal inquiry will review incidents over the past month in areas where more than 500 people died, per Gaza’s health ministry figures, near GHF sites or along UN convoy routes.
Ground Troops’ Rules of Engagement Under Scrutiny
One soldier interviewed for the Haaretz story described being briefed that “if the crowd does not disperse on warning shots, we must fire to prevent them from overrunning security perimeters.” Critics—both within Israel’s legal corps and among international observers—argue that the blanket approach to crowd control violates the principle of distinction under international humanitarian law, which requires armed forces to differentiate between combatants and civilians and to use proportionate force only when absolutely necessary.
During a closed-door session with MAG officials this week, legal advisers to the IDF reportedly rejected military claims that civilian casualties were “isolated incidents.” Instead, they pressed for a judicially overseen investigation to determine whether systematic failures in training or command contributed to the excessive use of force. No timetable has been set for the probe’s completion, nor have any findings been published to date.
Airstrike on Flour Distribution: 18 Dead
Amid the ground probes, witnesses in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah reported a lethal airstrike on Thursday that killed 18 people, including members of the Sahm unit, as they handed out confiscated flour. Video footage and photos shared with The Associated Press show bodies strewn in the street, pools of blood marking the pavement, and family members in shock. Local hospital spokespeople confirmed the fatalities: seven Sahm operatives, other aid workers, and civilians, among them at least one child.
According to bystanders, a Palestinian police unit had seized flour from looters and was distributing it gratis when an Israeli fighter jet released a munition precisely onto the gathering. Survivors and hospital staff described hearing no warning or prior ground-based engagement. Israel has declined to comment on the specifics of the strike, though it has accused Hamas of funneling aid into its military apparatus and has repeatedly targeted governmental facilities, including police stations, that it deems part of the militant infrastructure.
Independent Tribal Convoy Escorts Emerge
In response to rampant looting—and to protect civilians—the National Gathering of Palestinian Clans and Tribes announced on Wednesday an independent initiative to guard incoming aid convoys. Tribal representatives coordinated with Israeli authorities to escort a rare flour shipment in northern Gaza, pledging to shield trucks from criminal gangs. “We will no longer allow thieves to steal from the convoys and force us to purchase inflated prices,” tribal spokesperson Abu Ahmad al-Gharbawi told reporters.
While members of the Gathering claim they aim to work alongside the UN and Israel, it remains unclear whether major humanitarian agencies or IDF command centers formally recognize the tribal escorts. The move underscores the fragmentation of security responsibilities in Gaza, where neither UN peacekeepers nor local police can safely secure distribution points.
United Nations and Humanitarian Agencies React
UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have all decried the violence surrounding aid deliveries. In an August press briefing, UNICEF’s Regional Director warned that shootings at distribution sites were “particularly alarming” and urged Israel to ensure safe, unimpeded access to food for civilians.
WFP spokesperson Jonathan Reynolds said on Thursday, “Where significant aid shipments are allowed into Gaza, theft and violence subside. But intermittent closures and limited security for UN convoys leave both personnel and recipients at risk.” OCHA has documented more than 200 aid-related security incidents since May, including ambushes of UN trucks, clan-run roadblocks, and military checkpoints that delay life-saving supplies.
Legal and Ethical Implications
International law experts note that even if the IDF’s investigation finds isolated lapses, the systemic breakdown of effective crowd-control measures could amount to war crimes. Professor Sarah Whittaker, a scholar of armed conflict at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, argues that “firing into civilian crowds to enforce perimeter control—particularly without ministry-level authorization—strikes at the core of the Geneva Conventions’ protections for noncombatants.”
Israel has never faced expulsion from the United Nations despite repeated Security Council condemnations—thanks in part to its US veto—but serious allegations of civilian targeting can trigger International Criminal Court (ICC) inquiries. Last month, the ICC prosecutor reiterated that “all parties must adhere to humanitarian law and protect civilians during hostilities.”
Military Advocate General’s Dual Mandate
The IDF’s MAG serves both to prosecute soldiers for infractions and to defend the army against external legal challenges. Critics caution that self-investigations risk conflicts of interest and call for independent, civilian or international observers to monitor the process. In 2014-15, a controversial MAG review cleared ground forces of wrongdoing in similar Gaza incidents; international human rights groups condemned that outcome as lacking transparency.
Looking Ahead: Security Council, ICC, and Diplomatic Fallout
With Israel and the US coordinating a fragile ceasefire after 12 days of cross-border exchanges with Iran and Israel’s strikes on its nuclear facilities, the Gaza escalation has receded from global headlines. Yet the IDF’s internal inquiry—paired with mounting public pressure—could influence the Security Council’s next resolutions on Gaza. Russia, China, and numerous developing countries have already criticized Israel’s conduct; European Union members have signaled that ongoing civilian harm will jeopardize export controls and military aid packages.
In parallel, legal advocates in The Hague are preparing supplementary materials for the ICC to reopen its investigation into Gaza war crimes. “These new incidents near aid sites bolster the argument for crimes against humanity—if not genocide—given the systematic denial of life-saving assistance to a civilian population,” says Amal Hussain, a lawyer at the Palestinian Rights Center.
Conclusion
Israel’s decision to probe its own soldiers for possible war crimes over shootings at Gaza aid distribution points marks a watershed moment in an otherwise entrenched conflict characterized by mutual recrimination. The unfolding investigations—grounded in soldier testimonies, forensic video evidence, and legal analysis—will test the IDF’s commitment to international norms and have profound implications for future humanitarian operations in Gaza. As diplomatic efforts struggle to maintain ceasefires, and Gaza’s population teeters on the brink of famine, the lessons of these inquiries may prove decisive for whether aid can safely reach those who need it most.
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