With 'video proof', Israel denies shooting at civilians collecting aid in Gaza, says 'Hamas doing everything'
Israel forces share video, showing gunman opening fire on crowd gathred to collect humanitarian aid in Gaza
Israel denied any involvement in the killing of 31 people and accused Hamas of firing on civilians who gathered to receive food in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel defence forces shared surveillance footage, reportedly captured on Sunday, during daylight hours in Khan Younis, a southern city.
The footage purportedly showed armed individuals in masks shooting at civilians who were attempting to gather humanitarian supplies. "Hamas is doing everything in its power to prevent the successful distribution of food in Gaza," the IDF said in a post on X.
— IDF (@IDF)
It all started when Gaza's health ministry claimed that the Israeli officers opened fire on civilians near the aid distribution site, which is run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed private relief organisation.
The ministry said more than 200 people were wounded, many with severe injuries, and that all those killed had been shot in the head or chest.
IDF spokesperson BG Effie Defrin urged the people to not believe in "rumor" spread by Hamas and said that he visited the area of one of the GHF humanitarian aid distribution centers to set the record straight and provide some operational updates.
In a statement, Israel said, "False reports have been spread In recent hours, including serious allegations against the IDF regarding fire toward Gazan residents in the area of the humanitarian aid distribution site in Gaza.
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Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that the IDF did not fire at civilians while they error near within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effects are false.
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"The IDF is cooperating with the GHF and international aid organizations in order to enable the distribution of aid to Gazan residents—and not to Hamas. The IDF calls on the media to be cautious with information published by the Hamas terrorist organization, as proven in many previous incidents?" it added.
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