Israel Society

By Ehud Amiton/TPS • July 21, 2025

Jerusalem, 21 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel shared video Sunday night showing Gazans cheering while receiving humanitarian aid under the watch of Israeli soldiers. According to Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, the soldiers were under orders not to fire, and no shots were fired during the delivery.

“The civilians began welcoming and cheering for our soldiers, as if they saw in them life after darkness,” he tweeted. “Those who lived under Hamas’s lies know that our soldiers and our presence are a source of hope.”

#خاص هكذا سقطت جميع أكاذيب حماس
في مشهد يهزّ القلب من ظهر اليوم،
جنود جيش الدفاع يقفون بثبات…
وعلى بُعد أمتار – اعداد من سكان غزة يتسلمون المساعدات الإنسانية التي دخلت قطاع غزة.

لم تُطلق رصاصة.
القرار كان واضحًا: لا تطلقوا النار
اما ردة فعل الفلسطينيين؟ لم تكن خوفًا… بل… pic.twitter.com/HQQPK7t0Tw

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 20, 2025

The footage came a day after the IDF confirmed troops had opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians near Gaza City late Saturday, claiming the group posed a threat. While the military acknowledged casualties, it disputed the death toll reported by the Hamas-run health ministry and said the incident occurred about one kilometer from the aid distribution site after it had closed for the night. The army blamed the chaos on Hamas, stressing that it does not target civilians and seeks to ensure safe delivery of humanitarian aid.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead.