IDF Troops Ordered to Fire on Unarmed Gazans Near Aid Sites, Soldiers Say
A growing number of Israeli soldiers have told Haaretz that they were ordered to fire at unarmed Palestinians near food distribution centers in Gaza — even when no threat was present. The disturbing allegations have triggered calls for a military review into possible war crimes.
Driving the news: Over the past month, Haaretz interviewed active and reserve IDF soldiers and officers who say they were commanded to shoot at civilians gathering near humanitarian aid sites, in an effort to disperse crowds before and after food drops.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports at least 549 civilians killed and over 4,000 wounded near aid locations since May 27.
IDF sources say the Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism, a unit set up to investigate possible violations of international law, has been activated.
The big picture: The aid sites in question are operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a little-known group reportedly set up by Israel in partnership with U.S. evangelicals and private contractors, and staffed by Americans and Palestinians.
Four GHF distribution centers serve southern and central Gaza. Each is heavily guarded by IDF forces positioned hundreds of meters away.
Soldiers describe daily chaos: shooting before dawn to keep crowds away, then pausing during brief distribution windows, only to resume fire afterward.
Behind the scenes: Soldiers paint a grim picture of battlefield ethics eroding on the ground.
“It’s a killing field,” one soldier told Haaretz. “No warning shots, no tear gas — just heavy machine guns, mortars, grenade launchers.”
Multiple witnesses say commanders issued direct orders to fire live rounds at civilians, many of them teens and children, for merely approaching the zones too early.
Some soldiers described it as a game: the operation was dubbed "Salted Fish," after a children's game similar to Red Light, Green Light.
Zoom out: The apparent normalization of civilian casualties has alarmed some within the IDF.
“There are no noncombatants in Gaza — that’s the message being internalized,” a reserve officer warned.
Some soldiers allege that contractors demolishing homes for payment are pulling forces closer to civilian areas, escalating confrontations.
Several testimonies implicate Brig. Gen. Yehuda Vach, head of Division 252, as having issued orders to open fire on civilians waiting for food.
The intrigue: This isn’t the first time the IDF has come under scrutiny for actions in Gaza — but the scale and frequency of recent deaths, and the brazenness of some testimonies, could shift international pressure.
Internal IDF meetings, according to Haaretz, show concern less about morality than loss of international legitimacy.
Some in the Southern Command reportedly dismiss daily deaths as “operational side effects”, while legal advisors warn that “dozens of casualties a day” cannot be called isolated incidents.
What they're saying:
“Firing mortars to keep hungry people away is neither professional nor humane,” one officer said.
“Why are people collecting food being killed just because they stepped out of line?” another added.
The IDF replied: “Any allegation of deliberate fire toward civilians is not recognized in the field. The IDF did not instruct the forces to deliberately shoot at civilians.”
https://archive.is/20250628063906/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-27/ty-article-magazine/.premium/idf-soldiers-ordered-to-shoot-deliberately-at-unarmed-gazans-waiting-for-humanitarian-aid/00000197-ad8e-de01-a39f-ffbe33780000
https://x.com/gazanotice/status/1929066494769639634
https://x.com/gazanotice/status/1927413223239668119