Israel Challenges Reports, Widely Parroted by Western News Agencies, of Mass Casualties at Gaza Aid Station

The Israeli Defense Forces released drone footage Sunday showing gunmen in Gaza shooting at civilians at a food aid center in Rafah, countering claims widely reported by international news agencies that the Israeli military had opened fire, killing 31 people during the early morning distribution. The video of close-range targeting by shooters — as well as additional footage released by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said to be at the exact time the shootings occurred — contradict claims by Hamas that the Israeli military targeted Gazans.“Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that the IDF did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effect are false,” reads a statement issued by the Israeli Defense Forces. On Sunday, The BBC, CNN, and The Associated Press all reported that defense forces had opened fire on Gazans, with varying degrees of casualties. One person quoted by The AP said that, “There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones.”The source, Amr Abu Teiba, said he saw at least 10 bodies with gunshot wounds and people using carts to carry the dead and wounded. Another source from Gaza’s Health Ministry was quoted by the news agency as saying that the Nasser Medical Hospital had received 150 wounded and 28 bodies transferred from the International Red Cross field hospital in Rafah near the food distribution center. One video circulated by the news agencies from the Nasser Medical Hospital shows a doctor, Ahmed Abu Sweid, saying that people being brought in were shot while looking to collect food. Other videos circulating on social media show individuals ducking for cover and running in fear, although the location and circumstances are unclear. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — set up by Israeli and American authorities — said it has not had any casualties during its distributions on Sunday.“We continue to see false reporting about deaths, injuries, and chaos at the Secure Distribution Sites from major new outlets who are relying on unverified and unsubstantiated reports,” the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said in a statement Sunday. “We are observing coordinated efforts every day to instigate false narratives and distort media coverage around the operations of our distribution sites,” it continued. The humanitarian group said it has distributed 4.7 million meals in the six days since it set up operations. IDF spokesman Effie Defrin said 1,000 trucks have entered Gaza and delivered more than 15,000 packages of food aid. The food distribution hubs are located at four sites near Israeli Defense positions around Gaza to ensure that aid is distributed to the public before it is looted by Hamas and others. Additional sites are being prepared for wider distribution to come. Israel lifted a blockade on humanitarian aid after complaints that the situation was devolving into crisis due to Israeli restrictions and a breakdown in law and order. However, international humanitarian groups have called the Gaza aid by Israel and America illegitimate, claiming that it is using food as a weapon. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation acknowledged that it is unable to meet the need, in part because for every truck that it sends in, a truck from another organization is looted.While the Israeli Defense Forces say “Hamas is doing everything in its power to prevent the successful distribution of food in Gaza,” Israel’s i24 media reported Saudi sources saying that “Hamas has lost security control of Gaza, thieves are taking over aid and homes.” “Extremist groups have started to organize in Gaza with the security collapse of Hamas,” the sources reportedly said.

Israel Challenges Reports, Widely Parroted by Western News Agencies, of Mass Casualties at Gaza Aid Station

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