WASHINGTON – A former US Special Forces officer has come forward with explosive allegations, claiming that Israeli forces are committing war crimes in Gaza under the pretense of humanitarian food aid.
Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Aguie Lira, a retired member of the US military, revealed firsthand accounts of atrocities committed against unarmed and starving Palestinian civilians.
Lt. Col. Lira, who was recently stationed in Gaza as part of a US security deployment, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) used tanks, artillery, and mortars to indiscriminately fire on civilians. He specifically mentioned an incident where Israeli forces destroyed a civilian vehicle with tank shells, despite it being driven by non-combatants.
“I have never, in my entire military career, witnessed this level of brutality or the excessive use of force against civilians,” Lira stated in a public interview.
“What I saw in Gaza was beyond horrifying — unarmed people being slaughtered while trying to survive. I have no hesitation in calling it war crimes,” he said.
Lira left his post in Gaza after witnessing the systematic killing of Palestinian civilians by both Israeli and some US personnel. His testimony adds to a growing list of international concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, more than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 120,000 injured as a result of Israeli military operations, the Palestinian health authorities said.
The humanitarian organizations said that Israel is using food aid as a weapon, allowing limited deliveries only in tightly controlled zones and then targeting civilians who gather in search of sustenance.
Many children and elderly individuals have died due to hunger while others have been shot or bombed while seeking food, worsening the famine-like conditions across Gaza.
