The streets of southern Gaza became a scene of tragedy as a group of Palestinian men, their faces filled with fear, attempted to navigate the desolate streets. Plumes of dark smoke loomed in the air, and a young man valiantly held up a makeshift white flag in hopes of reaching his trapped family members.
In a series of nine videos obtained and verified by NBC News, the heart-wrenching incident unfolded. The men lifted their hands in surrender as shots rang out, causing them to take cover. Tragically, before they could escape, one of the men, adorned with a gold wedding ring, fell to the ground.
The shooting took place in the Al Mawasi neighborhood in Khan Younis, an area designated as a “safe zone” by the Israeli military. This incident raises further questions about the treatment of civilians caught in the ongoing war, which has already claimed the lives of 25,000 Palestinians, including 10,000 children.
After the gunfire ceased, locals rushed to drag the lifeless body off the street. The sorrowful cries and prayers of those gathered around the fallen man echoed through the air, while one man desperately tried to revive him.
According to Ahmed Hijazi, a Palestinian videographer who witnessed the event and captured it on film, the bullets came from one of the nearby Israeli tanks. Hijazi recounted the tragic moment, stating, “The tanks directly fired at him. One of the bullets went straight into his heart. He was immediately killed.” Hijazi’s account aligns with a report from the British news network ITV News, which also documented the incident from different angles.
The Israeli military has stated that they had encircled the area, with their troops deepening their ground offensive. NBC News provided the Israel Defense Forces with video evidence of the shooting, its precise location, and the time it occurred. The IDF responded by stating they were not aware of the incident and claimed that the video was edited.
Hamas officials have yet to respond to inquiries regarding the incident. Prior to the tragedy, the group of men had hoped to reunite with their family members who were trapped amidst the conflict. Their desperate attempt to rescue their loved ones led them down that ill-fated street.
The videos captured the heartbreaking moment when the five men, clutching a white flag and a green ID card, were met with gunfire. The older man was killed instantly, leaving his family members and onlookers devastated.
The location of the incident was just outside Al-Aqsa University on Al-Bahr Street, a pathway lined with tents and temporary shelters as displaced civilians sought refuge in the southern city of Rafah.
Under the laws of war and International Humanitarian Law, parties involved in armed conflicts must take every possible measure to distinguish between civilians and combatants. Civilians are not obligated to do so, but waving a white flag is a universally recognized symbol to indicate that one is unarmed and poses no threat.
This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing hardships faced by Palestinians in Gaza and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution.