From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 29, 2024
IDF probe: Majority of casualties in northern Gaza crowd crush are result of trampling, being run over
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
According to an initial IDF probe of the crowd crush in northern Gaza this morning, the vast majority of the casualties were a result of trampling and being struck by the aid trucks.
The incident began at around 4 a.m., when some 30 trucks carrying humanitarian aid arrived at the coast of Gaza City, to deliver food to Palestinians in the Rimal neighborhood.
Thousands of Palestinians rushed the trucks after they passed an IDF checkpoint in central Gaza, leading to a stampede in which dozens of Palestinians were wounded and killed, some after being run over by the trucks, according to the probe.
The IDF’s initial investigation finds that some of the trucks managed to continue further north, where armed men reportedly opened fire at the convoy near Rimal and looted it.
Dozens of Palestinians who rushed the last truck in the convoy began to move toward an IDF tank and troops stationed at the military’s checkpoint, the investigation finds.
An officer stationed in the area ordered to fire warning shots in the air as the Palestinians were within a few dozen meters, as well as gunfire at the legs of those who continued to move toward the troops, the probe says.
The IDF has coordinated several aid deliveries to northern Gaza in recent weeks, although this one was larger than usual, and it will now look to finding a solution to prevent such incidents from happening again.
