Palestinians dispute Israeli narrative of latest Gaza City massacre

Injured Palestinians and officials in Gaza have rejected Israeli claims regarding the “flour massacre,” which targeted a gathering of citizens awaiting humanitarian aid from the south to the northern city of Gaza.

At least 112 Palestinians were killed and 760 others injured when Israeli forces shelled a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City on Thursday, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

According to witnesses, hundreds of Palestinians were waiting to receive aid near Dowar al-Nablusi when they came under Israeli fire.

The Israeli army alleged on X that Palestinian crowds intercepted and looted trucks, resulting in dozens killed due to severe congestion the truck was running over people, a claim eyewitnesses refuted.

Shuaib Shaban, injured in the attack, told Anadolu: “It was my first time going to the Nablusi area to get food for my mother and sister, who suffers from stomach problems.”

“I went to wait for aid trucks and receive flour. I got a 25-kilogram (55-pound) bag, and as I got off the truck, the army shot me, injuring me,” he added.

At least 30,035 Palestinians have since been killed and 70,457 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.