A recent investigation by CNN has intensified scrutiny of Israeli military conduct in northern Gaza, presenting fresh visual and testimonial evidence indicating that civilians attempting to reach essential supplies were deliberately placed in harm’s way. The findings suggest that humanitarian queues, already made perilous by months of deprivation during the genocidal war, became sites of lethal force, followed by efforts to conceal the aftermath.

According to the investigation, bodies of those killed near the Zikim crossing were pushed aside with military bulldozers, in some cases into makeshift pits, while others were left exposed for days. Eyewitnesses said the dead were unreachable for long periods because sustained gunfire blocked medical teams, leaving corpses to decompose in open areas. Images and satellite data reviewed by CNN show bulldozer activity consistent with the displacement of bodies and debris throughout the summer months.

Drivers transporting aid gave accounts of arriving to scenes where civilians had been shot as they approached supply trucks, describing bodies buried under earth mixed with aid boxes. A father searching for his teenage son recounted finding remains alongside crushed food parcels. Former Israeli soldiers interviewed for the investigation also acknowledged that bodies were sometimes left unattended or moved with heavy machinery during operations.

The report adds to mounting accusations that civilians seeking food and medical supplies have repeatedly been targeted during the past two years. Legal and human-rights specialists argue that these incidents form part of a broader pattern of violations committed openly despite international legal prohibitions. Critics say political backing from the United States and several European governments has weakened attempts to pursue accountability through international courts or domestic jurisdictions.

Since the outbreak of the large-scale genocidal war in October 2023, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and many more injured, the majority women and children. Even after a ceasefire announcement in October 2025, restrictions on aid deliveries and continued military actions have compounded hunger and medical shortages for the 2.4 million residents of Gaza.