The Israeli government denied on Tuesday having shot at Palestinian civilians during a humanitarian aid distribution in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, after authorities in the Palestinian enclave accused the Army of killing 27 people.
They also denied the accusations regarding the death of at least 31 Palestinians on Sunday during another aid distribution in Rafah.
“The initial investigation by the Army confirms that the serious accusations made on Sunday in much of the media are based on Hamas propaganda,” said David Mencer, a spokesperson for the Israeli government.
What is Israel’s version of the incident in Rafah?
“Our soldiers identified several individuals who were deviating from the approved access route. This happened approximately half a kilometer from the aid distribution center. Our troops responded with warning shots,” said Mencer.
However, the people “continued advancing towards the troops in a threatening manner,” after which the Israeli troops responded again with new warning shots. “The Defense Forces are doing everything possible so that the Gazans can access the aid,” he emphasized, adding that the Army “is aware of information about victims,” although they are analyzing the incident.
The authorities of the Palestinian enclave, controlled by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), denounced the death of at least 27 Palestinians shot by the Israeli Army while distributing aid from a foundation supported by Israel and the United States in Rafah.
Israel publishes a map of the offensive in Gaza
On the other hand, the Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, showed during a press conference a map of the ground offensive against Hamas, marking the first time the movements of each division in the enclave have been revealed.
Specifically, the Gaza Division operates in the Rafah area, while divisions 36 and 98 are advancing towards Khan Yunis. In addition, the 252 is located in the city of Gaza and in the Netzarim corridor, while the 162 is present in the northern part of the enclave.