Flour massacre

The **Flour massacre** happened in Gaza Strip on February 29, 2024. At least 118 people were killed, and around 760 people were injured when Israeli forces shot at civilians who were trying to get food from aid trucks near the Al-Nabulsi Roundabout on Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City.

Journalists, diplomats, and human rights groups call it a massacre, but the Israeli military disagrees with the term. Three Hospitals said they have treated over 100, 142, and "dozens" of people with gunshot wounds. The United Nations confirmed that many victims of gunshot wounds were present at .

Survivors described the event as an "ambush", saying Israeli forces started shooting people as soon as they came near the aid trucks, causing a complete confusion and rush away from the gunfire that led to more casualties. One of the victim who saw the incident said, "We went to get flour. The Israeli army shot at us. There are many martyrs on the ground and until this moment we are withdrawing them. There is no first aid."

The event became known as the "flour massacre", as named by the Palestinians.

## Background

The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that northern Gaza is in famine. Medical officials have reported that a "significant number" of children in Gaza have died due to malnutrition and Palestinians in Gaza City have been eating grass and animal feed to survive.

Dr. Mohammed Salha, Director at  told reporters that 142 of the 176 wounded people that were brought to the hospital had gunshot wounds, and that the remaining 34 were injured from a stampede.

## Reactions

- Algeria proposed a motion to the United Nations Security Council to release a statement condemning the massacre but it was blocked by the United States.
    - Colombian president Gustavo Petro announced the country would stop buying Israeli weapons after the incident.
    - Josep Borrell, the EU's chief diplomat, said Israel's preventing of food from Palestinians was a serious violation of international humanitarian law, and described the incident as "totally unacceptable carnage".
    - In a statement, Hamas called the Flour massacre a "heinous massacre added to the long series of massacres committed by the criminal Zionist entity against our Palestinian people".
    - The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that,"We are deeply shocked at the loss of lives in Northern Gaza yesterday during the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Such loss of civilian lives and the larger humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be a cause for extreme concern".
    - Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir praised the Israeli military saying "Total support must be given to our heroic fighters operating in Gaza, who acted excellently against a Gazan mob _(a large crowd of people)_ that tried to harm them". He also stated that this incident was "another clear reason why we must stop transferring this aid because it is actually an aid to harm IDF soldiers and oxygen to Hamas".
    - The Foreign Ministry of Jordan said,"We condemn the Israeli occupation forces’ brutal targeting of the gathering of Palestinians who were waiting for aid on the Nabulsi roundabout near Al-Rashid Street in Gaza".
    - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (who has some control in the West Bank), called the incident an "ugly massacre" that was perpetrated by the "Israeli occupation army."
    - Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it condemned “in the strongest terms the heinous massacre committed by the Israeli occupation” and called for “urgent international action” to stop the fighting in Gaza.
    - Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the deaths and again said that it's “the need to reach an immediate ceasefire”.
    - The United Arab Emirates said it strongly condemned the attacks on thousands of Gazan people.
    - The United Nations said it strongly condemned the "violence unleashed by Israeli forces which killed at least 112 people" in the Gaza Strip.
    - The United States Department of State expressed condolences for the people who were killed or injured, and spokesperson Matthew Miller said they were in touch with the Israeli government and pressing them for answers. The President of US, Joe Biden told reporters that his administration was checking two competing versions of the incident, and added that the event would complicate ceasefire talks.

## Related pages

- Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023–present)
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- Israel–Palestine conflict

## Infobox (event)

- **child**: yes


## Infobox (civilian attack)

- **partof**: Israel–Hamas war, Israel–Gaza war (2024)
- **image**: SoI-War_24-02-29_IDF_05-02.jpg
- **caption**: Aerial image showing the location of Israeli troops and humanitarian aid trucks
- **date**: 29 February 2024
- **time**: ~4:30 a.m.
- **timezone**: UTC+02:00
- **title**: Flour massacre
- **location**: Netzarim Corridor, State of Palestine, Palestine
- **type**: Massacre, mass shooting
- **perpetrator**: Israel Defence Forces
- **fatalities**: 118+
- **injuries**: 760+