Euro-Med Monitor confirms Israeli army gunfire killed, wounded dozens of starving civilians in Gaza

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Initial investigations by the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor confirmed Friday that Israeli army gunfire killed and wounded dozens of starving Palestinians who were trying to receive humanitarian aid in western Gaza.

The evidence, bolstered by video footage, points to gunshot wounds suffered by victims, refuting the army's narrative of a stampede.

Euro-Med's researchers documented injuries on the bodies of the dead and wounded, alongside bloodstains on aid packages, further contradicting Israeli claims.

Key pieces of evidence outlined by Euro-Med include audible gunfire captured in Israeli army footage, the distinct sound signature of army weaponry and the intentional distortion in the army's aerial video.

The Geneva-based organization highlighted discrepancies in the Israeli narrative, emphasizing the absence of ramming operations depicted in the footage.

Moreover, Euro-Med underscored the systematic nature of the attacks, citing recent onslaughts where Israeli forces targeted civilians in Gaza City, underscoring a concerning pattern of violence.

The rights group demanded an independent investigation, cautioning against accepting the Israeli army's altered footage uncritically.

It warned that absolving the army, without thorough scrutiny, would perpetuate an unjust system where the perpetrator assumes the roles of investigator and judge.

Early Thursday, Israeli forces shelled a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City at the "al-Nabulsi Roundabout" area, leaving more than 112 dead and 760 injured, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

At least 30,035 Palestinians have since been killed and 70,457 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.