Father of Gazan truck driver killed by IDF: ‘A soldier shot him between the eyes’

Nasser Esleem, the father of Gazan truck driver Ahmad Esleem, who was shot dead by IDF troops last Wednesday, says in Hebrew in a video published by Haaretz that his son “went to bring food for the children. He had held a license for eight years. He had worked at Kerem Shalom for eight years. He was vetted by the army. He had a permit. Then a soldier came and put a bullet between his eyes.”

Last Wednesday, media outlets in Gaza reported that Esleem, a truck driver transporting aid through the Kerem Shalom Crossing, was shot dead by Israeli troops on his way back into the Strip.

Responding at the time to The Times of Israel, the IDF said that Esleem “ran toward troops, who initiated the suspect arrest procedure. During the procedure, they perceived an immediate threat and opened fire. The incident is under investigation.”

תקשיבו לנאסר סלים, אביו של אחמד סלים, נהג משאית שלפי עדי ראייה הוצא להורג על ידי חייל צה"ל בציר פילדלפי ביום רביעי. נאסר פונה לציבור הישראלי בעברית מושלמת: "אין לכם רחמים?". למטה כתבה. pic.twitter.com/UPo7bQcByg

— نير حسون Nir Hasson ניר חסון (@nirhasson) July 10, 2026

The father’s remarks were made during a protest held in Gaza today following Esleem’s death, attended by several dozen people. Among the participants were truck drivers, who carried signs in Hebrew, Arabic and English reading, “Protect the private sector” — a reference that also includes the companies transporting and trading aid — and “The world must give Gaza a chance to live.”

Jihad Esleem, deputy head of Gaza’s Private Transport Association, who participated in the protest, says that “aid truck drivers are being subjected to systematic killings and deliberate attacks while carrying out their humanitarian duty of transporting aid into the Gaza Strip.”