A Haaretz exposé reveals that Israeli soldiers were ordered to shoot at Palestinians gathering for food, with commanders normalizing the killing of unarmed civilians.
An investigation published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz has revealed a deeply disturbing pattern of Israeli military conduct in Gaza, where soldiers and officers admitted to deliberately firing on Palestinian civilians gathering at food distribution centers.
The report, based on direct conversations with multiple Israeli military personnel, details how live ammunition, mortars, grenade launchers, and tanks have routinely been used against unarmed crowds seeking humanitarian aid — a practice one soldier described bluntly as “a killing field.”
Since the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution centers at the end of May, 549 Palestinians have been killed and over 4,000 injured near these sites, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Many of these deaths are reportedly the result of direct Israeli fire.
One soldier stationed in Gaza told Haaretz: “Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day. They’re treated like a hostile force – no crowd-control measures, no tear gas – just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars.” He added, “There’s no enemy, no weapons… I’m not aware of a single instance of return fire.”
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According to testimonies, soldiers have been ordered to shoot at Palestinians approaching aid distribution sites both before they open and after they close, even when no threat was posed.
“We open fire early in the morning if someone tries to get in line from a few hundred meters away,” the soldier said. “Sometimes we just charge at them from close range.”
‘Operation Salted Fish’
This practice has reportedly been normalized among the ranks. Soldiers refer to the pattern of fire and ceasefire around the centers as “Operation Salted Fish,” a reference to the Israeli version of the children’s game “Red Light, Green Light.”
The GHF, the entity responsible for the food distribution sites, was established in coordination with Israel, US evangelical groups, and private contractors.
It operates four centers across Gaza, distributing food for just one hour each morning, often amid chaos. Despite being billed as humanitarian operations, these zones have become death traps for many.
According to Haaretz, since the opening of the centers, at least 19 shooting incidents have been documented in their vicinity. The Israeli army reportedly fires warning shots — or live ammunition — to deter Palestinians from queuing too early or approaching from the wrong direction.
One reservist described the environment: “Gaza doesn’t interest anyone anymore. It’s become a place with its own set of rules. The loss of human life means nothing. It’s not even an ‘unfortunate incident,’ like they used to say.”
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Israeli Officers, Soldiers Speak Out
While the Israeli army has long maintained that its operations target militants, the soldiers’ testimonies contradict this narrative.
An officer responsible for securing one of the aid zones told Haaretz: “Working with a civilian population when your only means of interaction is opening fire – that’s highly problematic, to say the least.”
Another officer described how Israeli army units fire mortars and machine guns to “signal” civilians not to approach: “At night, we open fire to signal to the population that this is a combat zone and they mustn’t come near.”
In one case, a shell fired near the coastline struck a crowd of civilians. “Technically, it’s supposed to be warning fire,” one soldier explained. “But lately, firing shells has just become standard practice. Every time we fire, there are casualties and deaths.”
He continued, “If it’s meant to be a warning shot, and we see them running back to Gaza, why shoot at them? Sometimes we’re told they’re still hiding and we need to fire in their direction because they haven’t left. But it’s obvious they can’t leave if the moment they get up and run, we open fire.”
The officer added, “You know it’s not right. You feel it’s not right – that the commanders here are taking the law into their own hands. But Gaza is a parallel universe. You move on quickly.”
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Top Commander Linked to Attacks
A name that appears repeatedly in testimonies is Brigadier General Yehuda Vach, commander of Division 252. According to several soldiers and officers, Vach personally ordered the dispersal of Palestinians near UN aid trucks through direct gunfire.
“This is Vach’s policy,” one officer said. “But many of the commanders and soldiers accepted it without question. (The Palestinians) are not supposed to be there, so the idea is to make sure they clear out, even if they’re just there for food.”
One recent incident cited in the report involved soldiers firing at civilians gathered at a junction awaiting aid trucks. The order, given by a local commander, led to the deaths of eight people, including teenagers.
“It was pointless – they were just killed, for nothing,” said a senior reserve officer. “This thing called killing innocent people – it’s been normalized.”
Haaretz also revealed the role of private contractors in exacerbating the violence.
According to one soldier, contractors demolishing homes in Gaza are paid 5,000 shekels (roughly $1,500) per building and are escorted by Israeli forces. Their proximity to food distribution points has often led to exchanges of fire — sometimes resulting in civilian deaths.
“These are areas where Palestinians are allowed to be – we’re the ones who moved closer and decided [they] endangered us,” said the soldier. “So, for a contractor to make another 5,000 shekels… it’s deemed acceptable to kill people who are only looking for food.”
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Systematic Dehumanization
The cumulative picture painted by the testimonies is one of systematic dehumanization. “We were constantly told there are no noncombatants in Gaza,” one soldier recalled. “Apparently that message sank in among the troops.”
The number of fatalities near aid centers has spiked in recent weeks — 57 on June 11, 59 on June 17, and about 50 on June 24, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Despite the growing death toll, few internal investigations have occurred.
The Israeli army’s Southern Command, under Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, has only conducted preliminary reviews and has not disciplined any officers involved in civilian deaths.
According to a military source, “The moral aspect is practically nonexistent. No one stops to ask why dozens of civilians looking for food are being killed every day.”
In response to the report, the Israeli army claimed: “Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that starves the Gazan population and endangers them to maintain its rule… The IDF allows the American civil society organization (GHF) to operate independently and distribute aid to Gaza residents.”
However, the testimonies shared with Haaretz suggest that the problem is neither logistical nor procedural, but systemic and deliberate.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Remember the recent ambush in Khan Yunis, the one where a lone Palestinian fighter challenged a troop carrier in a fiery game of basketball and ended up scoring at least seven points with one shot? Well, There is a video circulating online “featuring” one of the now defunct 7 savages. With a wide, grotesque grin that did quite reach his ears, he was shooting randomly at civilians until he emptied the ammuntion belt of his heavy machine gun. I was so satisfied to learn that he was blown to pieces in said ambush, with his burned flesh mingling with twisted metal. I hope the resistance mete out similar punishments to the rest of these zionist scumbags.
Support for Palestine 🇵🇸. Don’t give up
Never give up!
Every time the open there mouth they late the cat out of the bag: “Israel” is a brutal terrorist organization that starves the Gazan population and endangers them to maintain its rule.
distributing food for just one hour each morning, often amid chaos — ONE hour! ONE fucking hour!? “chaos”?? It’s an engineered death trap! All these “baby soldiers” are all Nazis, playing the “just following orders” card. Soulless, Godless, Satanists.
I thought this is worse. And then this:
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/oxycodone-discovered-in-aid-flour-bags-gaza-condemns-heinous-crime
People around the world are appalled at the behaviour of the Zionist Israeli regime during this increased ethnic cleansing and genocide against the people of Palestine.
Haaretz – a key and mor honest Israeli newspaper confirms that IDF soldiers were given orders to shoot at starving Palestinians seeking food at distribution points.
There are disgusting crimes against humanity and world leaders should be taking action to stop Israel receiving armaments and to isolate this racist, apartheid, fascist and mass-murdering regime.
Those that refuse to take this action are hypocrites They preach to China and Russia about human rights, the rule of law and equality but support regimes like Israel.