Flour Massacre: Israel Guns Down Hundreds of Starving Palestinians Trying to Access Food


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Survivors of the Feb. 29 massacre load corpses onto a platform. Screenshot: Al Jazeera English/YouTube
Israel carried out one of the bloodiest massacres in modern times Feb. 29, when its military opened fire on starving Palestinians on Al-Rashid street in the Gaza Strip who had been awaiting trucks with desperately needed humanitarian aid, including bags of flour. The misnamed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed at least 112 Palestinians and injured at least 760 more. Israeli soldiers and tanks fired on crowds already weakened by famine and disease, the deliberate result of Israel’s genocidal policies. This latest atrocity will not stop Western imperialist powers from continuing to provide full support to Israel’s attack on Gaza.

As unimaginably evil as any act Israel has committed in this genocide, the “Flour Massacre”, as it quickly became known, has a special degree of cruelty to it. Israel had allowed a drop-off of humanitarian aid during the night, then murdered starving civilians as they gathered at the aid drop. Survivors correctly called it a “trap”. The massacre also facilitates Israel’s genocidal goals by making Palestinians fearful of accepting the very aid they need to survive.

So confident is Israel in its impunity — which extends to rank-and-file IDF soldiers, who have flooded social media with videos of themselves committing war crimes — that the IDF itself tweeted video of the massacre. The video is taken from an elevated height, in night vision, with no sound. As journalist Séamus Malekafzali said, “There is one purpose to release this video, high-up where you can see no faces, without sound so you can hear no gunshots. Israel is demanding that you look at these Palestinians like insects, swarming these trucks like beasts, and the Israeli troops were forced to open fire.” Dehumanization of the targeted group is a key aspect of any genocide and Israel supporters are no different, regularly comparing Palestinians to insects and vermin.


Aerial footage of the massacre posted by the IDF. Source: @idfonline/Twitter
Right on cue, the capitalist media moved into action to obscure the truth of what happened. As usual, headlines used the passive voice to avoid ascribing any responsibility to Israel, describing people “killed” with no mention of who killed them. Leading media outlets all used the word “chaotic” — rather than, say, “massacre” — to describe the events: from CNN (“chaotic incident”) to The New York Times (“chaotic Gaza scene”). BBC News managed to avoid naming Israel as the killer while working Hamas into the headline of their report on a war crime. Does anyone think if the Russian military had fired on Ukrainian civilians awaiting humanitarian aid, Western media would not condemn the event as a massacre and explicitly note in headlines who had done the killing?

The IDF naturally blamed Palestinians for their own deaths. They claimed the crowds had rushed to aid trucks, that those who died were killed in a stampede. Israeli officials and media used words like “mob”, which is the word you use for a crowd when you want to attack their motives and intent. But video and eyewitness accounts quickly proved Israel lied about its involvement in the massacre, with the IDF’s edited footage concealing the sound of gunfire. Dr. Mohammed Salha, head of Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza City, said gunfire accounted for more than 80% of the wounds his hospital treated for Palestinians emerging from the bloodshed.

No matter how you look at it, Israel is responsible for these deaths. But for the sake of argument, even if you were to take Israel at its word — which would be foolish, since Israel was founded on lies and its officials constantly lie — that IDF soldiers fired “warning shots” to disperse the crowd: could you blame people for panicking? The IDF has killed 30,000 Palestinians in just a few months. Israeli soldiers gunning down and killing Palestinians, including children, without any consequences has always been a regular event, similar to how U.S. police constantly murder unarmed civilians. Could you blame people dying of hunger from rushing toward aid trucks? Palestinians in Gaza are literally starving to death in an intentional man-made famine, caused by Israel’s genocidal blockade and their imperialist allies’ freezing relief funds to Gaza. Bottom line: Israel has committed yet another barbaric massacre, one that in its incomprehensible cruelty matches any of history’s worst atrocities, including those committed by the Nazis.

The imperialist war criminals that have funded and armed Israel throughout this genocide naturally refused to condemn the Flour Massacre. U.S. President “Genocide Joe” Biden said his administration was investigating two different versions of the event, and claimed it would complicate supposed ceasefire talks. The idea that Biden was discussing a ceasefire is a barefaced lie, one he cynically put forward right before the Democrat primary in Michigan (a key swing state with a large Arab American population) and immediately backed out of afterward.


The Israeli flag is projected onto Canada’s Parliament after the Oct. 7 attacks. Source: @HoCSpeaker/Twitter
In Canada, Prime Minister “Genocide Justin” Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Ministry Mélanie Joly, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have all been silent about Israel’s massacre. All found time, however, to hypocritically condemn Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and to pay tribute to former prime minister Brian Mulroney after his death the same day as the massacre. For once, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh dared to criticize Israel: “New Democrats are horrified by and condemn the massacre by Israeli troops of over 100 Palestinians seeking life-saving aid,” Singh said. “Canada must take action to save lives.” But again Singh is talking from both sides of his mouth. For all Singh’s bluster, the NDP continues to prop up the Liberal government that arms and supports Israel as it commits genocide. Singh also joined every other political leader in Canada to falsely smear pro-Palestine demonstrators as antisemitic.

The Flour Massacre and ongoing support for Israel’s genocide by the capitalist class shows how revealing it was when every member of Canada’s Parliament gave a standing ovation to a Nazi and Waffen-SS veteran. Despite efforts to spin this as a mere “gaffe”, with former speaker Anthony Rota taking the blame and falling on his sword, Parliament’s support for a Nazi was really a case of the mask coming off. This is the true, ugly face of capitalism and bourgeois “democracy”, which has always been prepared to commit the worst atrocities, to support the most reactionary forces and oppressive regimes, in order to maintain its class rule.

The cruelty and hypocrisy of our rulers and their system stands ever more exposed. Millions are drawing revolutionary conclusions as a result, while bourgeois politicians ignore them and any expression of dissent. The self-immolation of active-duty U.S. Air Force member Aaron Bushnell in protest against U.S. imperialism’s support for the genocide in Gaza has echoed the anger and frustration of the masses. The Pentagon’s press secretary could respond only with the usual thought-terminating cliché: “Our support for Israel’s inherent right to defend itself is ironclad.”

Mass anger is growing at the inhumanity of our ruling class, embodied in their support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The need to channel this energy into a revolutionary communist party that can overthrow the capitalist system responsible for such atrocities has never been more pressing.

https://matthewpuddister.substack.com/p/flour-massacre-israel-guns-down-hundreds

Give us legit source before we can contribute

The U.S and IDF simply have one mission which is to leave Palestine deflated such that they'd never think of going to war in the next 100 years. Unfortunately for them, they have no worthy ally to match up with Israel and it's ally.
Massive genocide going on there but trust the west to use propaganda to cover the truth.
Palestine played itself.

Israels actions are despicable and inexcusable, and its appalling to see Western powers continue to support this genocide in Gaza

Israel is committing crimes against humanity.

Apus:
The U.S and IDF simply have one mission which is to leave Palestine deflated such that they'd never think of going to war in the next 100 years. Unfortunately for them, they have no worthy ally to match up with Israel and it's ally.
Massive genocide going on there but trust the west to use propaganda to cover the truth.
Palestine played itself.

Can we please stand up as ally of Palestinians and Hamas and ask them to release Israelis in their custody to avert this wanton killings?

Whalis:

Can we please stand up as ally of Palestinians and Hamas and ask them to release Israelis in their custody to avert this wanton killings?

You occupy their land, & treat them as if they are not human beings 21st century apartheid, because so called Israel(Zionist of the Americas & Europe) their Oyibo brothers with the money & guns are supporting them.

E no get wetin person no go see for dis world, the level of cruelty wey Israel dey use take oppress Palestinians dey break my heart.

Just imagine the rubbish website that is being quoted

This must never not pushed to front page

Btw Israel should prepare their nuclear weapons

All terrorists must die

Nonsense and ingredients

Burob:
You occupy their land, & treat them as if they are not human beings 21st century apartheid, because so called Israel(Zionist of the Americas & Europe) their Oyibo brothers with the money & guns are supporting them.

Stop misinformation.. It is not their land.. The land belongs to isreal and since they dont want to release the hostage, the will continue to collect woto woto... I dont know how una dey reason sef..

Next time, they will pick their fights carefully. No one is coming to save them, even the Arab nations are afraid of Israel, even God is against them. By the time Israel is done with them, they will shite their pants when they hear the name.
This was an avoidable issue, now innocent people are paying for the bad decisions of their greedy leaders.
Any sensible person will measure his opponent before starting a fight but the Palestinians and Hamas were foolish.

Let there be peace in Israel

Whalis:

Can we please stand up as ally of Palestinians and Hamas and ask them to release Israelis in their custody to avert this wanton killings?

Shooting, and killing starving people is not an act of war, but an act of extreme cruelty. Don’t get me wrong, I support Israel taking the fight to Hamas. But it is fair to say Israel’s response has been overboard. Netanyahu has to realize his overbearing actions towards Palestinians have created global sympathy for Palestinians including Hamas. And soon, the support for Israel will dwindle. The unnecessary killings have got to stop!

Burob:
You occupy their land, & treat them as if they are not human beings 21st century apartheid, because so called Israel(Zionist of the Americas & Europe) their Oyibo brothers with the money & guns are supporting them.

Please ask Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt who their ancient neighbors were. If any of them mention Palestine I will agree with you about occupying their land. People occupying that part of Gaza today are offsprings of pilgrims who couldn't go back to their home countries.

Whalis:

Please ask Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt who their ancient neighbors were. If any of them mention Palestine I will agree with you about occupying their land. People occupying that part of Gaza today are offsprings of pilgrims who couldn't go back to their home countries.

Ok, Oyibo people where their ancient neighbors abi?

It is the same way ignorant people barely a century ago said na Oyibo people get South Africa & Zimbabwe.

What is occurring in your Zionist so called Israel today, is 21st century apartheid.

Apus:
The U.S and IDF simply have one mission which is to leave Palestine deflated such that they'd never think of going to war in the next 100 years. Unfortunately for them, they have no worthy ally to match up with Israel and it's ally.
Massive genocide going on there but trust the west to use propaganda to cover the truth.
Palestine played itself.

Yes, especially when it is clear that it was this their mission that propelled Palestine to attack first on October 7.

Xiaohei:


Shooting, and killing starving people is not an act of war, but an act of extreme cruelty. Don’t get me wrong, I support Israel taking the fight to Hamas. But it is fair to say Israel’s response has been overboard. Netanyahu has to realize his overbearing actions towards Palestinians have created global sympathy for Palestinians including Hamas. And soon, the support for Israel will dwindle. The unnecessary killings have got to stop!

So you massacre a people and expect them to revenge or respond in a specific manner? You think other countries are as mad as Nigeria where the president will tell you that herdsmen from Niger, Mali, etc are the ones killing Nigerians and yet he does absolutely nothing about it other than protecting the killers with the army.

F22RAPTOR:
Next time, they will pick their fights carefully. No one is coming to save them, even the Arab nations are afraid of Israel, even God is against them. By the time Israel is done with them, they will shite their pants when they hear the name.
This was an avoidable issue, now innocent people are paying for the bad decisions of their greedy leaders.
Any sensible person will measure his opponent before starting a fight but the Palestinians and Hamas were foolish.

Do not mind them. How can a right thinking person in the position of Palestinians ever have the thought of attacking Israel? It that not suicide? Is that not madness?

Burob:
You occupy their land, & treat them as if they are not human beings 21st century apartheid, because so called Israel(Zionist of the Americas & Europe) their Oyibo brothers with the money & guns are supporting them.

Isreal owns the land from river Euphrates to the Mediterranean sea. Jews were exiled or displaced in 70AD by Roman empire thereby rename the place Palestine. No mention of Palestine in any history book that dated before Christ.

Chinkoalhaji34:
Israels actions are despicable and inexcusable, and its appalling to see Western powers continue to support this genocide in Gaza

If you were Israel, what would you have done differently or better?

Newton2024:
Isreal owns the land from river Euphrates to the Mediterranean sea. Jews were exiled or displaced in 70AD by Roman empire thereby rename the place Palestine. No mention of Palestine in any history book that dated before Christ.

Oh you want to go back to the biblical era, ok Abraham the father of the so called Jews where is he from?

When he left Terah his father & came to a new place, he met people there, who were the inhabitants of the land he begged to settle on with his wife Sarah?

They were promised a so called land of milk & honey in your bible, is there anywhere in your scripture when they claimed they left Egypt after 400 years of slavery, that it is written that those ungrateful people got to the so called promised land?

Who even told you that those Zionist Oyibos from Europe & the Americas occupying Palestine land today since 1948 is the Israel from the Bible?

Are Caucasians indigenous to the Middle East?, how come every country around so called Israel today (Syria, Iran, iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia etc are brown people like the Palestinians, but impostor Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, Yelsit Rabin & co are white Caucasians?

Like you rightfully claimed the romans (Europeans) drove those imposters from the land in 70AD, and returned the land to the real owners (Palestinians).

Abi you know more than the romans that wrote the history you are basing your misconstrued opinion on?

Fela done already talk am since long long time ago, say black man & follow follow no just get sense.

Newton2024:
Isreal owns the land from river Euphrates to the Mediterranean sea. Jews were exiled or displaced in 70AD by Roman empire thereby rename the place Palestine. No mention of Palestine in any history book that dated before Christ.

So the land belongs to israel because of some history book

Newton2024:
Isreal owns the land from river Euphrates to the Mediterranean sea. Jews were exiled or displaced in 70AD by Roman empire thereby rename the place Palestine. No mention of Palestine in any history book that dated before Christ.

With this logic, I think I'll be justified to trace my ancient root to Ethiopia, were my ancestors migrated from, and take over the land.

In fact, let every nation go back to 70 AD borders.

Sometimes, it's better to shut up.

Apus:
The U.S and IDF simply have one mission which is to leave Palestine deflated such that they'd never think of going to war in the next 100 years. Unfortunately for them, they have no worthy ally to match up with Israel and it's ally.
Massive genocide going on there but trust the west to use propaganda to cover the truth.
Palestine played itself.

What propaganda?

I saw a video where one of the purported dead body from the said massacre was blinking while another was standing over wailing...!!

The world have seen through the retards in gaza and their hamas thugs and nobody gives a flying furrck any longer...!!

You can't go around shooting citizens of another people and don't expect consequences...!!

The retards would think twice before attacking Israel again..!!

Good thing is everybody including hamas leaders are in the line of Israel fire so non of them dung heads would think they are far away from Gaza and be planning nonsense against Israel from where they are again. .!!!