“The hiding of military forces inside an aid truck is considered a war crime against civilians. The occupation forces deceived people by pretending to be giving aid.”
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has warned that Israel’s use of a humanitarian aid truck as a cover for its military operation in Nuseirat which led to the deaths of over 200 Palestinians, posed serious dangers.
“Last Saturday Israeli occupation forces used an aid truck to infiltrate the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, which then lead to the deaths of hundreds of people,” the PRCS said in a statement on Monday.
The massacre, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, resulted in the killing of 274 people, including 64 children and 57 women, in addition to injuring close to 700 others.
“Israel’s actions are troubling for several reasons. One is using a trusted source for people trapped in the conflict is a violation of international humanitarian and customary law, which prohibits the crime of perfidy,” the PRCS stated. “The hiding of military forces inside an aid truck is considered a war crime against civilians. The occupation forces deceived people by pretending to be giving aid.”
The Palestine Red Crescent Society warns of the dangers posed by the use of a humanitarian aid truck as cover for military operations.
Last Saturday Israeli occupation forces used an aid truck to infiltrate the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, which then lead to the death of… pic.twitter.com/MRaJbQCK6H— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) June 10, 2024
Exclusive footage obtained by Al-Jazeera showed Israeli special forces using an aid truck and a civilian car to carry out the military operation on Saturday.
The images depict civilian cars escorted by Israeli military tanks penetrating the western areas of the Nuseirat camp, amid a series of unprecedented air raids targeting the camp and various central Gaza Strip areas. Four captives were rescued during the operation.
‘Puts Workers at Risk’
The PRCS said that the second reason such action “destroys the trust” of the civilian population in those who are delivering aid.
“This again puts humanitarian aid workers and health care workers at risk,” the PRCS said. “These actions come at a time when people living in Gaza desperately need aid, amid suffering from acute food insecurity and ongoing concern for famine.”
The PRCS called on the international community “to hold the occupying authorities accountable for their actions.”
“There cannot be the massacre of civilians, they must be protected alongside humanitarians, and medical personnel in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.”
Gaza’s Government Media Office said in a statement on Sunday that “field reports indicated that the Israeli occupation army used two civilian vehicles” in the massacre – a “small civilian car” and “a transport vehicle carrying goods, mattresses and aids.” These were “clearly evident” in the video clips circulated by the media, the statement said.
In addition, the Israeli forces who participated in the operation disguised themselves as displaced people, “wearing civilian clothes.”
Not the First Time
Israeli forces have disguised themselves as civilians before, to carry out an operation.
In January, about ten undercover occupation forces, disguised as medical staff, infiltrated the Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin and killed three Palestinian youths.
The youths were confirmed to be fighters of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the undercover agents had used silencer pistols in the assassination.
‘Doctors’ with Silencer Pistols – How Israel Killed Three Palestinian Youths inside Jenin Hospital
Ongoing Genocide
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 37,164 Palestinians have been killed, and 84,832 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
Gaza’s Agony – Death Toll Rises Amid Severe Humanitarian Crisis
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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