Gaza aid incident shows dangers of misinformation
According to the IDF, a large crowd of Palestinians surrounded trucks distributing aid and dozens were either trampled to death in the crush or run over.
The media has been criticised for reflexively blaming Israel for two incidents in Gaza in the past 24 hours that claimed more than 100 lives.
According to the IDF, in one incident a large crowd of Palestinians surrounded trucks distributing aid around and dozens were either trampled to death in the crush or run over.
Israeli forces were not involved.
There was a second incident in which people in civilian clothes stormed Israeli troops delivering aid.
Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Alon Cassuto said, “Given the frequent Hamas tactics of dressing as civilians, the IDF fired warning shots, and then deadly fire once IDF troops were in fear of their lives. This is entirely within the norms and parameters of international humanitarian law.”
He said the reporting of these incidents shows the danger of misinformation.
“The death of any innocent is absolutely tragic, and we mourn all those who have died in these incidents”, he said. “But a reflexive decision to blame Israel for their deaths will only cause further division here in Australia. We must focus on the truth.”
According to media reports, some of the trucks in the first incident pushed past the crowd.
Later, armed gunmen—likely Hamas—stopped the convoy and looted the trucks.
Much of the aid that has entered Gaza has been stolen by Hamas in this fashion.
This is not the first time initial media reports from Gaza have been criticised as misinformation.
An explosion that killed and injured civilians at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on October 17 last year was initially reported as an Israeli bombing.
It turned out later it was the result of a misfiring Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket.
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