IDF accused of 'field execution' of Palestinian driver bringing aid into Gaza

A Palestinian lorry driver transporting food aid into Gaza was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier in what witnesses and a local truckers' association described as a field execution. The driver, a 30-year-old father of two young children, was killed after an aid convoy stopped because one of its trucks had broken down. The association said it may suspend operations in protest, while the Israeli military confirmed a shooting had taken place but gave a different account.

Conflicting accounts of the shooting

According to several witness accounts, the convoy of four trucks had recently entered Gaza and halted along a military road on the southern edge of the strip when one vehicle broke down. Drivers said they waited for authorisation to inspect the truck when an Israeli military vehicle arrived. Soldiers ordered several drivers out, and one surviving driver said the victim had his hands raised when a soldier opened fire, striking him in the head. Witnesses said he was wearing a safety vest and carrying required permits.

The Israeli military offered a differing sequence, saying troops had identified drivers who exited their trucks contrary to procedure and detained them for questioning. It said a driver ran toward the soldiers, prompting them to follow an apprehension protocol and open fire after perceiving a threat. The military said the driver was wounded, given initial treatment and transferred for further care, and that the incident was under review.

A pattern of danger for aid drivers

Private truck drivers are routinely hired by the UN and humanitarian agencies to move food and essential goods into and around Gaza. Aid flows increased after a partly observed ceasefire late last year, but with much of the territory still under military occupation and strikes continuing, the work remains extremely hazardous. Associations have alleged similar shootings of drivers in recent months.

The victim's employer said several drivers had resigned after the killing and that those who remained were continuing only out of financial necessity. An emergency board meeting was scheduled to consider suspending operations at a key crossing, and representatives stressed the essential role Palestinian drivers play in moving aid into Gaza.

Why it matters

The killing spotlights the acute risks faced by the civilian workers who keep humanitarian supplies moving into a population in urgent need. When those transporting food are themselves endangered, the entire aid pipeline is threatened, with consequences for the many people who depend on it. Independent scrutiny of such incidents is central to protecting humanitarian access.