Israeli military official admits targeting civilians near aid distribution centres in Gaza

An Israeli senior military official in the Southern Command has admitted that “uncontrolled” artillery fire was used against civilians in Gaza, leading to dozens of deaths and injuries among people waiting for humanitarian aid.

This partial admission follows a report by Haaretz, which published testimonies from soldiers and officers who confirmed they had received orders to open fire on unarmed crowds in order to disperse them, even in the absence of any direct threat to Israeli forces stationed near food distribution points.

The military official stated that the army is “currently operating in various ways,” adding that the gunfire was intended to “maintain order at food distribution points”. He acknowledged that some of these actions had led to civilian deaths due to what he described as “uncontrolled” artillery fire.

He further described one incident, which he called “the most serious”, in which between 30 and 40 people were wounded, with some confirmed dead. Local sources in Gaza, along with international human rights and humanitarian organisations, have repeatedly warned that aid centres have become “death traps” where civilians are deliberately targeted.

Haaretz earlier published direct testimonies from soldiers who had recently served in Gaza. They said they were ordered over the past month to shoot at unarmed civilian crowds approaching food trucks, despite no immediate threat being present.