At least 583 Palestinians have been killed and over 4,100 wounded after Israeli soldiers allegedly received orders to shoot at unarmed crowds near aid distribution points in Gaza.
At a Glance
- Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports commanders ordered live fire on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid.
- Over 19 separate shooting incidents have been documented since late May.
- Gaza Health Ministry estimates at least 549 deaths by June 26, rising to 583 by month’s end.
- The IDF has launched an internal war‑crimes investigation while denying intentional targeting.
- UN and MSF have condemned U.S./Israeli‑backed aid system as lethal and chaotic.
Killing Zones Around Aid Points
Haaretz’s investigation, corroborated by soldier testimonies, reveals that troops were instructed to open fire on civilians congregating before and after aid centers opened—reportedly to “disperse crowds” despite no threat of armed resistance. These aid stations, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), are framed as strategic choke‑points, at times devolving into “death traps” as described by Médecins Sans Frontières.
Watch a report: Israeli soldiers speak to media about orders to shoot
Soldiers recounted firing on civilians accumulating hundreds of meters away from the sites, using heavy weaponry and snipers—”no crowd control measures, only live fire,” one soldier said. UN agencies have reported that roughly 70% of casualties occurred specifically at GHF-controlled locations, with documented incidents stretching across northern and central Gaza.
Investigation, Denials and International Outcry
In response, the Israeli Military Advocate General has opened a war‑crimes investigation, prompting global criticism. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz dismissed the report as “blood libel,” maintaining that IDF policies strictly forbid hitting civilians. Yet rights analysts note that internal investigations rarely yield meaningful sanctions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres decried the aid system as “inherently unsafe,” warning that its current setup is producing civilian deaths. Hospitals in Gaza have treated thousands of gunshot victims at these sites, with the Gaza Health Ministry citing more than 4,100 wounded by June 29.
Context and Historical Echoes
The massacres at Gaza aid stations recall previous wartime atrocities. Notably, the “Flour Massacre” in February 2024 saw Israeli forces open fire on food‑seeking civilians, killing at least 118. Such patterns raise the specter of repeated violations of international humanitarian law and echo decades-old tragedies, including the Kafr Qasim massacre, which established the legal precedent that soldiers must refuse manifestly illegal orders.
What’s Next?
The internal IDF inquiry may determine whether orders to shoot civilians were systemic or rogue. Meanwhile, international pressure intensifies: advocacy groups demand a full independent investigation, and some donors threaten to withdraw funding. With Gaza’s humanitarian collapse worsening daily, the stakes extend far beyond these aid stations—they go to the heart of how wars are fought, and who pays the most brutal price.
