Israeli soldiers deployed in Gaza say they’ve been ordered to open fire on civilians gathering at food distribution sites, many of which are operated by a humanitarian organization founded with help from U.S. evangelical leaders and private contractors.
According to a new Haaretz investigation, Israeli commanders have repeatedly instructed troops to shoot at Palestinians near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)’s food aid centers. The soldiers report that live ammunition, grenade launchers, mortars, and heavy machine guns have been used to disperse crowds of hungry, sometimes before dawn, when residents begin lining up in hopes of receiving food.
The Haaretz report includes firsthand testimony from multiple Israeli soldiers, one of whom described his post as a “killing field,” where “between one and five people were killed every day.” Another said civilians are treated “like a hostile force,” even though “there’s no enemy, no weapons.”
“I’m not aware of a single instance of return fire,” the soldier told Haaretz.
The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 549 people have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded near aid centers since late May. The death toll has spiked dramatically in recent weeks, with certain individual days seeing more than 50 fatalities.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation runs four “rapid distribution centers” in southern and central Gaza. The foundation was established by Israel in coordination with U.S. evangelical groups and private security contractors, and its CEO is an evangelical leader with close reported ties to former President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Johnnie Moore, head of the foundation, served as co-chair of Trump’s evangelical advisory board in 2016 and was a frequent visitor to the White House during Trump’s first term, where he led prayer meetings at the White House. Moore also advocated for pro-Israel policies, like the controversial moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
Moore’s predecessor resigned abruptly, citing a lack of autonomy, and the GHF has been criticized by the United Nations for not demonstrating any independence from Israel.
Start your day with essential news from Salon.Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.
While the GHF was ostensibly created to provide lifesaving relief and help preserve international legitimacy for Israel’s military operation, the aid sites have become deadly flashpoints. Crowds often receive no advance notice of when a center will open, sometimes waiting only to be fired upon by snipers or mortars before distribution begins, according to the report. Since the rapid distribution centers opened, Haaretz says there have been 19 shooting incidents near them.
One IDF reservist told Haaretz that firing on civilians is now routine: “It’s not even an ‘unfortunate incident’ like they used to say.”
“Gaza is a parallel universe. You move on quickly,” said another soldier. “The truth is, most people don’t even stop to think about it.”
In response to growing civilian deaths near aid centers, Israel’s Military Advocate General has instructed the IDF’s Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism to investigate select incidents. Legal officials say the shootings appear systemic, not isolated. Sources told Haaretz that the general of the chief of the Southern Command usually “conducts only preliminary inquiries,” and has not taken disciplinary action against officers linked to the civilian fatalities.
Read more
about Israel-Palestine
