The Government Media Office reported the deaths of 104 Palestinians and injuries to more than 700 in a massacre near the Nablusi roundabout in northern Gaza after Israeli forces targeted a gathering of citizens waiting for flour and humanitarian aid. The Government Media Office in Gaza stated that Israel committed this horrific massacre with premeditation as part of the genocide against the residents of the strip, knowing that the victims had arrived to receive assistance but killing them in cold blood. Medical teams reported that they were unable to cope with the volume and nature of injuries, as dozens of wounded were transported to Al-Shifa Hospital, which is only partially operational following Israeli airstrikes.
The incident resulted in the largest civilian casualties in weeks. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the "horrific massacre" committed by the Israeli occupation forces this morning against citizens waiting for aid trucks at the Nablusi roundabout near al-Rasheed Street in Gaza City, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of hundreds of our people. Israel, on the other hand, questioned the account provided by health officials in Gaza, which has been under repeated Israeli bombardments for several months amid the war that began following Hamas's deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7.
The White House described the airstrikes targeting food aid reported in Gaza as a "serious incident." A spokesperson for the National Security Council in the White House stated, "We express our condolences for the loss of innocent lives and acknowledge the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are trying to feed their families." The spokesperson added that this highlights the importance of increasing the humanitarian aid flow to Gaza and its continuity, including through a possible temporary ceasefire.
The office called on the world and Arab and Islamic countries for immediate intervention to stop the genocide, holding the American administration, the international community, and Israel responsible for this horrific massacre. For his part, Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry, stated that the recent massacres committed by the entity represent a new turn in the ongoing genocide. Al-Qudra anticipated that the death toll from the Rafah massacre near the Nablusi roundabout would rise with a large number of critical cases arriving at the Shifa complex.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter condemned what happened today at the Nablusi roundabout in Gaza, affirming it was a "massacre." She said, "I am horrified by today's massacre, which claimed the lives of more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza." She continued, "The killing of individuals lining up for aid is a flagrant violation of international law and the temporary measures of the court."
Background on the incident indicates that the Israeli army opened fire on hundreds of Palestinians waiting for aid at the Nablusi roundabout, claiming they rushed to steal the supplies. The Israeli government, in its comment on the incident, stated that it was a "truck accident aimed at dispersing Palestinians who rushed to grab bags of flour." This assertion comes despite confirmations that bullets were raining down on al-Rasheed Street like rain.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council in the White House conveyed, "We mourn the loss of innocent lives and recognize the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are only trying to feed their families." He added that the council emphasizes the need to provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza, including through a potential ceasefire.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated during a congressional hearing that Israel has killed more than 25,000 women and children in Gaza since October 7 and that it can and should do more to protect civilians. Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian coordinator, expressed his shock in a post on X, stating, "Even after nearly five months of brutal fighting, Gaza still has the ability to shock us."
