An Israeli military report has claimed its troops did not fire at Palestinians surrounding an aid convoy in Gaza last month, but rather shot at nearby “suspects” who posed a threat to the forces. The findings contradict Palestinian accusations that Israeli soldiers opened fire directly on people gathered around the convoy.
The incident on February 29th at the Nabulsi roundabout in Gaza City left over 100 Palestinians dead, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Distressing scenes showed crowds swarming trucks briefly stopped in the aid convoy before the vehicles lurched forward, apparently running over some of the Palestinians.
While Palestinians accused Israel of deliberately shooting people at the convoy, Israel had claimed the deaths were mainly caused by people being trampled or run over as the trucks moved.
In its “command review” presented to the military chief on Friday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated troops fired at “a number of suspects who approached the nearby forces and posed a threat,” not at the humanitarian convoy itself.
However, the UN, EU and several countries have called for an independent investigation into the deadly incident, which sparked international outrage. UN officials who visited hospitals said they found many people with gunshot wounds.
The Israeli military’s findings have done little to resolve controversies around the events and escalating tensions in the region.
