How the Israeli army covered up another aid massacre that killed 90 starving Palestinians in Gaza

Last Sunday, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, published a post on his Facebook page starting with the words: “This is how all of Hamas’s lies collapsed.” Attached to the post is a 43-second clip of large crowds of starving civilians in Gaza rushing an aid truck carrying flour. Several meters away stand several Israeli soldiers, and one soldier is heard saying, “Don’t shoot.” Then some people from the crowd turn and cheer toward the soldiers, before the clip cuts. 

Adraee’s post continued: “Gaza residents received the humanitarian aid that entered the Gaza Strip, and not a single shot was fired. The decision was clear: do not fire.”

He then adds: “The reaction of the Palestinians was not fear but hope, as civilians began to welcome and cheer our soldiers as if they saw in them life after darkness.”

On the same day, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) released a different statement covering the same event:

“On the morning of 20 July, a 25 truck WFP convoy carrying vital food assistance crossed the Zikim border point destined for starving communities in northern Gaza.

Shortly after passing the final checkpoint beyond the Zikim crossing point into Gaza, the convoy encountered large crowds of civilians anxiously waiting to access desperately needed food supplies.

As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire.”

Over 90 people were killed in the massacre, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The WFP statement added that the Israeli forces fired on the aid-seekers despite assurances from Israeli authorities of improved humanitarian conditions, including the absence of armed forces or their involvement at any point along the humanitarian convoy routes. 

According to the Gaza Helathy Ministry, over 200 people were injured with gunshot wounds in the upper body. 

‘I managed to grab a sack of flour that a man in front of me was carrying before he was killed’

Eyewitnesses who spoke to Mondoweiss said that as people started rushing the aid convoys, Israeli tanks, helicopters, warships, snipers, and soldiers all began firing at once “from every direction” toward the aid-seekers. Witnesses at the scene confirmed they had to walk over fallen bodies to obtain food and return to their families.

“As soon as the trucks entered, we rushed toward them,” says 51-year-old Ahmad al-Halabi, who had gone to the northern crossing with his brother hoping to get flour. He returned carrying his brother’s corpse instead. “The soldiers were watching us and did not fire at first. But the moment we reached the aid trucks, bullets began raining down on us from every direction — from the land, air, and sea.” 

“The tanks fired, the soldiers fired, the planes fired, the warships fired. We were under a hail of bullets,” he adds. “We didn’t know where it came from — from all directions.”

Others had managed to grab some flour before the bullets began to fly. “When we went to the Zikim area, there were no signs of fear or indication that the army would open fire,” says Zayed Abu Jabal, 25. “We stood far away. We posed no threat. We were hungry, carrying only empty bags to fill and return to our starving families.”

Abu Jabal’s family had been starving for five days without eating a single meal. He had taken the risk of going, knowing the dangers

“As soon as we started moving and running toward the aid trucks, the Israeli army began firing a barrage of bullets over our heads,” he recounts. “We dropped to the ground, then crawled through the rain of bullets. The army did not stop shooting.” 

“By some miracle, I managed to grab a sack of flour that a man in front of me was carrying before he was killed,” he continues. “I saw it with my own eyes. I picked up the sack, which was soaked in that young man’s blood, and returned to our tent in the Tal al-Hawa area.” 

“The flour was stained with blood, but it was the only thing I could get,” he added.