Israel Releases Drone Footage to Refute Claims of Firing on Civilians at Gaza Aid Site

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released drone footage on Sunday that it says shows armed, masked individuals in Gaza shooting at civilians near an aid distribution site, amid international scrutiny and allegations that Israeli troops fired on Palestinians gathering humanitarian assistance.

The footage was published as Israel denied reports from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry that at least 26 Palestinians were killed and 175 others wounded while attempting to collect food. The IDF described the reports as “false” and part of a broader campaign of misinformation allegedly led by Hamas.

“Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that the IDF did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site,” the IDF said in a statement. “The IDF is cooperating with the American Civil Organization (GHF) and international aid organizations in order to enable the distribution of aid to the Gazan residents — and not to Hamas.”

The aid site in question is operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has been coordinating food distribution under Israeli military oversight. The organization also denied that any incident of live fire had occurred within its controlled zones.

Witness accounts collected by international media, including the BBC, claim that Israeli forces opened fire on civilians from tanks positioned nearly 1,000 yards from the aid site, located outside the southern city of Rafah. A Palestinian journalist said thousands of people had gathered at the location when the alleged gunfire erupted.

Israel has strongly pushed back on those accounts, instead blaming Hamas for sowing confusion and endangering civilians.

“Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that starves and endangers the population in order to preserve its control over the Gaza Strip,” the IDF stated. “As part of its brutal behavior and its attempts to disrupt humanitarian aid, Hamas directly harms the residents of Gaza.”

IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin dismissed the allegations as “fake news” designed to undermine aid operations. Speaking from Rafah, Defrin said, “We will investigate each and every one of those incidents and allegations. We are a professional military. I urge not to believe every rumor spread by Hamas.”

The IDF added that a separate incident occurred overnight, in which its troops fired warning shots at a group of individuals approaching a distribution site approximately one kilometer away and outside of designated operating hours.

“During the activity, warning shots were fired toward several suspects who advanced toward the troops. There is no connection between this incident and the false claims made against the IDF,” the military said.

Israel maintains that Hamas routinely interferes with humanitarian efforts, either by obstructing access to aid or placing civilians in harm’s way to use them as political leverage. The situation on the ground remains tense as the international community continues to press for accountability and transparency in aid delivery.

With input from Fox News.