Israeli Troops Told to Fire on Gaza Aid Seekers, Haaretz Reports

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Friday, June 27, 2025, reported that Officers of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been ordered to deliberately shoot unarmed residents of Gaza, Palestine, at aid distribution sites. The order has been ongoing for the past month.

Haaretz is the oldest newspaper in Israel and is known for its left-leaning political stance. The newspaper is published in Hebrew and English, in print and online. It often takes a critical stance on government policies and social issues.

In its report, Haaretz quoted an unnamed Israeli soldier stationed in the Gaza Strip. The newspaper stated that the commanders ordered the Israeli military to shoot Palestinian residents near aid distribution sites, even though they were unarmed and posed no threat.

The Israeli soldier who served as the source stated that the IDF had completely violated ethical codes in the Gaza Strip. He said the forces were instructed to shoot at crowds of Palestinian people and use unnecessary lethal force against individuals who appeared to pose no threat. He told Haaretz, 'We shot machine guns from tanks and threw grenades. One to five people are killed every day. This is an open field for murder.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Military Advocate General ordered the IDF General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Israeli forces in the area, the report added.

On Tuesday, June 24, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated that since May 27, when the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations in the area, at least 410 people had been killed while attempting to obtain humanitarian aid at distribution centers.

Israel has refused to cooperate with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Earlier, in late October 2024, the Israeli parliament passed a law aimed at banning UNRWA activities in Israel and the territories it controls, after accusing some UNRWA staff of involvement in a Hamas attack in October 2023.

The UN stated that Israel had not provided any evidence to support its accusations. On January 30, the law banning UNRWA activities came into effect.

At the same time, Israel and the U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have opened food distribution points in the Gaza Strip. However, the distribution of food aid is often marred by deadly attacks on Palestinian residents.

Israel resumed attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18, citing Hamas' rejection of the U.S. plan to release hostages and extend the ceasefire that ended on March 1.

On May 19, Axios cited senior Israeli officials reporting that the Israeli Security Cabinet had decided to immediately resume the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through existing channels.

According to the plan proposed by Israel, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation would distribute aid to several centralized points in southern Gaza controlled by the Israeli military, according to the Financial Times report.

On May 20, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini accused Israel of exploiting humanitarian aid to forcibly displace Palestinian residents.

Editor's Choice: Why Isn't the UN Resolving the Aid Crisis in Gaza?

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