Chaos and shooting after a month of assistance in Gaza

In the four weeks after the launch of a controversial system of help in the US and Israel in Gaza, there are repeated cases of murder and injuries of the Palestinians seeking help.

According to the Hamas Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 500 people will be killed in the last month, 4,000 injured.

In order to achieve a more clear understanding of how the BBC Verify has evolved in the last month, analyzes dozens of videos from all over the gas that offer an idea of ​​what this Earth help system looks like. The footage shows an almost daily cycle of chaos, panic, live rifle and dead or wounded Palestinians.

While the videos show a complete picture of danger and chaos, they do not finally show who is responsible for the shooting in each incident. However, in many cases eyewitnesses and medics.

In the last month statements, Israeli defense forces (IDF) several times said they had fired “warning shots” to persons who described as “suspects” or said they were a threat.

IDF has told the BBC to check that Hamas is doing “everything in his power to prevent the success of the Gaza food distribution, is trying to disrupt the help and to directly harm the citizens of the Gaza Strip.”

On May 18, Israel announced that it partially relieves its 11-week blockade of aid in Gaza, which said it was aimed at putting pressure on Hamas to release hostages.

IDF has built four places to distribute help – three in the distant southwest of Gaza and one in the central gas area of ​​Israel’s security area, known as the corridor in the disabled – which started operations on May 26th.

These sites in IDF -controlled areas – known as SDS 1, 2, 3 and 4 – are managed by security contractors working for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), with Israeli military providing routes to them and perimeters. On Thursday, the US State Department announced $ 30 million (£ 22 million; € 26 million) funding for GHF – the first known direct contribution to the group.

From the very beginning, the UN has condemned the plan, saying that this will “militarize” help, bypass the existing distribution network, and forces the Gazanas to make long trips through dangerous territory to get food.

Within days of the start of the plan, dozens of Palestinians were killed in separate incidents on June 1 and 3, igniting international condemnation. Since then, there have been almost daily reports of killings of people traveling to collect help.

IDF said its “forces are conducting systematic study processes aimed at improving the operational response in the area and minimizing the possible friction between the population and the IDF forces.”

Israeli government spokesman David Menzer called reports of killed people while receiving help “another Nonetrial.” “There were no hundreds of people dying.”

GHF denied that there were some “incidents or victims of or near” any of its distribution sites.

On Tuesday, the Red Cross stated that his field hospital in Rafa had to activate his massive victim procedures 20 times since May 27, with the greater part of the patients suffering firearms and stating that they were on the way to help.

The UN and its world food program, as well as other aid suppliers, continue to try to spread help in Gaza, but say they rely on Israeli authorities to facilitate their missions.

The UN Service of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said the murder of Palestinians trying to receive help is a “probable military crime”. An international human rights lawyer Sarah Elizabeth Dill told the BBC to check that if there was any intentional targeting of civilians, it could be a serious violation of international law.

“Mass shooting during civil access to help violate the basic rules against focusing civilians and the use of hunger against them, potentially increasing to war crimes,” she said.

Three videos, the first of which was published on June 9, showed hundreds of people, some of whom look like empty flour bags, shake over mounds of ruins and hide in ditches. Several outbursts of automatic shooting can be heard.

On this day, the health ministry, run by Hamas, announced that six people had been killed this morning while seeking help and more than 99 were injured. The next day, he reported 36 deaths related to the aid and more than 208 injuries.

It is not possible to check that any of these victims is the result of the shooting that can be heard at the footage.

We were able to confirm that the videos were shot from about 4 km (2.5 miles) northwest of the SDS4, on the way to the site in central gas.

Audio analysis of the shooting by Steve Beck, a former FBI consultant who now manages Beck’s audio criminalism, said one of the weapons sounds like speeds corresponding to the Minimi Minimi machine gun and the M4 rifle. The second pistol, said Mr Beck, shoots at a speed that is “compatible” with the AK-47 sound. We cannot determine whose weapons have fired, but Miminis and M4s are often used by IDF, while the AK-47 are usually used by Hamas and other GAZA groups.

In the footage, published the next day, on June 10, and filmed nearby, more crowds were seen in panic as the sound of firing, followed by what sounded like an explosion was heard in the distance. Subsequently, wounded and bloody people, including children, were visible.

GHF has cards showing “safe passages” on its sites and communicates with time of opening through WhatsApp and social media.

Each passage has a “starting point” and a “stop point” when the Palestinians warned that they should not go through the latter until they are indicated. GHF said these corridors were secured by IDF and warned people that they were crossing these stops, unless they were said, it could be dangerous.

But the SDS4 does not plan a safe passage for people coming from the north.

There are also murders near GHF assistance sites.

Verified footage of June 17 showed at least 21 bodies and several injured people on the road that several vehicles were parked, including a severely damaged truck with a plane.

Witnesses told the BBC that IDF drones and a reservoir were shooting at the crowd as they waited to collect help.

A statement by IDF has admitted that it has identified a “gathering” of people adjacent to a truck to distribute aid that has struck in the area of ​​Khan Enisis and near the IDF troops working in the area. “

It says: “IDF is aware of reports on a number of injured persons from IDF fire after the crowd approach.” He regretted “any harm to not included persons” and said the details of the incident were under consideration.

A spokesman for the Hamas Civil Protection Agency in Gaza said at least 50 people were killed at the scene.

The video shows a number of dead around Scorch traces on the ground, including one person with bloated legs.

Mark Kanian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted the lack of an obvious influence crater, but told us that the degree of damage was probably the result of a “very direct fire”.

Another video, published on June 16, which we checked, shows bodies drawn on a horse from horse on Al-Rashid Street in North Gaza, the main coastal road and is often used by Aid Convoys.

The inscription, along with the video, claims that these Palestinians were killed while waiting for help.

The next day, some photos and videos we checked were posted on the social media located nearby, showing a body worn by several men on a wooden pallet the same way.

GHF claims that many alleged incidents are related to convoys and places to distribute other groups, including the UN. It says these helps are “plundered by criminals and bad actors.”

A GHF spokesman said he was generally “pleased” by his first month of operations, with 46 million meals allocated to two million gazan, but aims to increase his capacity.

IDF said that, among other changes, he installed fences and signs and opens additional routes.

“We have expressed concern (with IDF) about maintaining a safe transition for seekers, but unfortunately, some have tried to make dangerous cuts or travel during limited times,” said the GHF spokesman.

“In the end, the decision is more help that will create more security and a smaller emergency among the population.”

Additional reporting and checking by Paul Brown, Emma Pengels, Lamees Altalebi, Richard Irvine-Brown, Benedict Garman, Alex Murray, Kumar Malhotra and Thomas Spencer.