The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has responded to allegations that their airstrikes in Gaza may have resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians who were attempting to flee the area. The IDF spokesperson, Lt. Colonel Jonathan Conricus, stated on Sunday that information from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave should be treated with caution and suspicion due to its propaganda purposes.
While the IDF did not completely rule out the possibility of a “freak accident” on the part of Israeli forces, Conricus insisted that there was no deliberate targeting of civilians or vehicles in the areas where dozens of people were injured and killed on Friday. He presented a video showing cars following an Israeli evacuation order on Salah al-Din road before one of the vehicles exploded.
Conricus acknowledged that he was not a forensic expert and could not determine the cause of the explosion, but he was confident in stating that the IDF did not purposely strike in that area. He pointed out that information about the number of people killed, their identities, and whether they were armed that came from the Gaza Ministry of Health was authorized by Hamas and served its propaganda purposes.
The IDF spokesperson argued that it made no sense for the IDF to target civilians since they wanted people to go south. He claimed that Hamas had issued warnings to their civilians not to evacuate and had even blocked their attempts to leave.
In response to the ongoing airstrikes and crisis in Gaza, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that many people had abandoned their evacuation efforts and returned home. The situation in Gaza has been further exacerbated by the blockade, with the exit through Egypt closed since Tuesday due to the Israeli airstrikes.
The IDF spokesperson admitted that the evidence presented was not conclusive, but reiterated that the IDF did not strike on purpose and suggested that it could have been a freak accident, although he expressed doubt about this possibility.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with Hamas launching attacks on Israel and Israel responding with intense airstrikes. Local health officials have reported over 2,200 Palestinians killed and more than 7,600 injured as a result of the ongoing violence.
It is important to consider all available information and verify sources before drawing conclusions about the events unfolding in Gaza. The conflict continues to escalate, resulting in the loss of innocent lives and worsening humanitarian conditions for the people in the region.
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