The Israeli army has offered five conflicting stories to deny its role in the killing of 31 starving civilians and the injury of over 200 others at the US-Israeli aid distribution point in Rafah. The massacre, known as the Witkoff Massacre, has triggered global outrage.
- Narrative 1: “Nothing happened.”
Initially, Israel claimed that no incident occurred near the aid center. This was quickly disproven by eyewitness videos and images showing bodies scattered near aid trucks.
- Narrative 2: “Something happened—but not near the aid center.”
After mounting pressure, the army admitted there had been an incident. However, it claimed the event happened far from the aid site and had no connection to Israeli forces. The army then released a video showing normal aid distribution in a different area.
- Narrative 3: “Soldiers fired in the air only.”
The third claim was that Israeli soldiers fired warning shots into the air, not at people. This contradicted medical reports and survivor testimonies that confirmed victims had direct gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and abdomen.
- Narrative 4: “No one was hurt.”
In its fourth version, the army insisted that no casualties resulted from the incident. But the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) later confirmed that 21 dead bodies had arrived at its field hospital in Rafah.
- Narrative 5: “Hamas militants were responsible.”
Finally, Israel published a drone video claiming Hamas fighters shot civilians. However, the footage was filmed in Khan Younis—not Rafah—and showed looting by gangs backed by Israel. The clip lacked any evidence of a gunfight.
Rami Abdu, director of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, called the video “a scandal.” He said, “The footage showed gangs stealing aid, not Hamas shooting civilians. Israel is trying to hide its crime with lies.”