Israeli officials have discussed arming some civilians in Gaza to provide security protection for aid convoys into the besieged enclave, as part of wider planning for humanitarian supplies after fighting ends, the Israel Hayom daily said on Friday.
With civil order increasingly strained in Hamas-run Gaza and municipal police refusing to provide security to convoys because of the risk of being targeted by Israeli forces, the issue of secure distribution of supplies has become a major problem.
The civilians would not be linked to terrorist groups including Hamas but it remained unclear who they might be, the newspaper said. It said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had postponed a decision on the issue.
The Prime Minister's office declined to comment on the report, which came a week after dozens of Palestinians were killed in an incident in which crowds surrounded a convoy of aid trucks entering northern Gaza and troops opened fire.
Aid stampede incident
The incident underlined the chaotic conditions in which aid has been delivered to Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of the growing threat of famine after more than five months of war.
"We were not carrying weapons or anything, we are civilians. We wanted to get food because we are starving here in Gaza," said Mustafa Lolo, who said he was shot in the legs trying to get aid.
On Friday, the IDF released the results of a review of the circumstances behind the Feb. 29 truck convoy incident and repeated that troops had only fired at individuals they felt posed a threat.
"The command review found that IDF troops did not fire at the humanitarian convoy, but did fire at a number of suspects who approached the nearby forces and posed a threat to them," it said in a statement.