ECaution is advised when making quick judgments about what is currently happening in the Gaza Strip. It is quite possible that not even the Israeli army leadership knows exactly what happened on the coastal road to Gaza City in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The dynamics in war zones, where heavily armed soldiers face civilians who do not know whether there are terrorists among them or not, are difficult to understand from the outside.
A level that is difficult to bear
What is certain is that a human drama of a magnitude that is difficult to bear has taken place. It is of secondary importance how many of the dead died from Israeli bullets and whether they were fired out of panic or with the intent to kill specifically.
The fact is that the humanitarian situation in the north of the Gaza Strip is so devastating that thousands of people are looting aid convoys and risking their lives in the crowds to get a sack of flour. Israel bears responsibility for this situation, especially since there is no other power left that could ensure order.
The army knows how much anger some soldiers carry
Aid organizations unanimously complain that far too few trucks reach the north of the Gaza Strip. There doesn't have to be a big plan behind it. It is often due to individual decisions that a convoy is stopped at the border or a commander does not allow passage in the combat area. Some decisions may be justified, others may be driven by a personal desire for revenge.
But here too, Israel's army leadership bears responsibility: They know how much anger their soldiers carry after October 7th and in view of the more than a hundred hostages that continue to be held captive in the Gaza Strip. Especially in this situation, the leadership must establish clear rules and ensure that they are followed, regardless of whether it is about humanitarian aid or the protection of civilians in the combat zone. This is also why it is important that incidents like the drama on Gaza's coastal road are investigated transparently and independently.
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