Israeli soldiers say they were ordered to fire on Palestinians at Gaza aid centers

Several Israeli soldiers and officers said they were ordered to open fire on unarmed Palestinians gathered at humanitarian aid distribution points in Gaza.

According to Haaretz, Israel's leading newspaper, the military prosecutor’s office has called on the army’s top leadership to initiate an investigation into possible war crimes committed at these aid hubs.

Soldiers quoted in the report described what they referred to as a “killing field,” where lethal force was used routinely instead of non-lethal crowd control tactics.

“It’s a killing field … where I was, between one and five people were killed every day,” one soldier told Haaretz.

Read more: Seven Israeli soldiers, including commander, killed in Gaza

He further claimed that rather than using tear gas or rubber bullets, soldiers were instructed to deploy heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and even mortars against civilians trying to access humanitarian aid.

“They treat them like an attacking force,” the soldier said. “There’s no riot control—only live fire.”

The report has sparked renewed concerns among human rights organizations, as well as calls for independent international investigations into Israel's conduct during its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.