BBC investigation reveals IOF edited aerial footage of Flour Massacre
6 Min Read
After initially denying involvement in the Flour Massacre, a BBC investigation reveals that the footage was edited and was not a single sequence.
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A screengrab from a video released by the Israeli occupation army shows what it describes as Gazans around aid trucks in Gaza City. (AFP)
Following the Flour Massacre, the Israeli occupation released aerial footage alleging that Palestinians were martyred due to a "stampede" during aid collection.
A BBC investigation uncovered that the footage was edited and not presented as a continuous sequence, raising suspicions that the IOF might have concealed the part where they opened fire on the people gathered at the Nabulsi Roundabout.
BBC Verify has reviewed social media videos, satellite imagery, and IOF drone footage to assemble a “comprehensive understanding” of the information regarding the massacre.
At 11:30 PM (GMT+2)
Footage released on Instagram at 23:30 local time on February 28, showed hundreds of internally displaced Palestinians huddled around fires, waiting for a humanitarian aid shipment. The video depicts people camping out on al-Rashid Street, which is the coastal road southwest of Gaza City. This area has been recently utilized as a distribution point for aid.
After the #FlourMassacre was committed, the Israeli occupation published aerial footage claiming that Palestinians died as a result of a "stampede" while they were collecting their aid.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 2, 2024
A BBC investigation revealed that the footage was edited and was not a single sequence,… pic.twitter.com/2H9GARVHHr
BBC Verify verified a video earlier that depicts people gathering around to get their share of grain. This clarifies that the area is recognized as a gathering point for Palestinians to receive aid shipments.
At 4:00 AM (GMT+2)
At approximately 4:00 AM local time on Thursday, February 29, a convoy of trucks carrying aid from Egypt was spotted moving north along al-Rashid Street.
The IOF's chief spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, reported that at around 04:45 am local time, trucks in the convoy were encircled by crowds of people as they neared the Nabulsi roundabout, situated on the southwestern periphery of Gaza City, as reported by BBC Verify.
IOF footage “not one single sequence”
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BBC investigation reveals screengrab from infrared drone footage released by the IOF.
The video released by the IOF is not a single continuous sequence; instead, it has been divided into four sections. These segments depict events at two locations, both of which BBC Verify has geolocated.
This prompts the question: what happened during the minutes that were cut out? Without the complete video sequence, viewers cannot clearly discern what led to the massacre, highlighting Israeli involvement.
The initial two sections of the video depict individuals surrounding two or more trucks located just south of the Nabulsi roundabout. The second two sections show events approximately 500 meters further south.
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BBC investigation reveals an annotated screenshot of the IOF video highlighting motionless figures with red squares. (BBC research)
In these sections, at least four stationary trucks are visible, with individuals moving around them. Notably, motionless figures lying on the ground can also be observed. An annotated screenshot of the IOF video highlights these figures with red squares, while also indicating the presence of what appear to be Israeli occupation vehicles nearby.
It is worth noting that Mahmoud Awadeyah, a journalist who was at the scene, told the BBC that Israeli vehicles began firing at people upon the arrival of the aid trucks. "Israelis purposefully fired at the men... they were trying to get near the trucks that had the flour," he said. "They were fired at directly and prevented people to come near those killed."
Israeli lies and contradictions
The BBC investigation notes that at 1:06 PM (GMT+2) on Thursday, an IOF statement posted on Telegram stated: "Early this morning, during the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into the northern Gaza Strip, Gazan residents surrounded the trucks, and looted the supplies being delivered. During the incident, dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and trampling."
At 3:35 PM (GMT+2), a further IOF statement on X repeated that description of the incident.
In further comments to the UK's Channel 4 News, IOF spokesperson Col. Peter Lerner said a "mob stormed the convoy bringing it at some stage to a halt, as reported by BBC Verify. "The tanks that were there to secure the convoy see the Gazans being trampled and cautiously try to disperse the mob with a few warning shots."
In a video statement posted on X at 10:35 PM (GMT+2) in occupied Palestine - the IOF's Daniel Hagari claimed: "Hundreds became thousands and things got out of hand." He alleged that the tank commander decided to retreat to “avoid harming civilians” and "they were backing up securely, not shooting at the mob".
However, in clear contrast to these statements, the Israeli prime minister's special adviser, Mark Regev, said in an interview on CNN between 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (GMT+2) that the Israeli occupation army had not been involved directly in any way and was not on the ground. He argued that the IOF had opened fire in a separate incident unrelated to the lorries, but did not provide further evidence.
'Israel' held responsible globally
Earlier on Friday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz discussed the Flour Massacre on Gaza's al-Rashid Street on Thursday, perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces.
It observed that the aftermath might influence the ongoing negotiations for an agreement, suggesting it could heighten tensions in various arenas, from Washington to Riyadh. This reinforces the notion that "Netanyahu is not accurately interpreting the situation," as per Haaretz.
The newspaper also highlighted that the distressing scenes from the massacre are consistent with the figures reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health regarding the number of Palestinian victims in the Gaza Strip. It underscored that internationally, "Israel" is perceived as the primary side responsible for this massacre.
It is worth noting that the Israeli occupation is under increasing international pressure to investigate after over 100 Palestinians were murdered in Gaza on Thursday when desperate masses swarmed around relief vehicles and Israeli forces opened fire.
More than 110 people were killed in the massacre in al-Rasheed Street, to the west of Gaza City, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported, while tens of others were wounded in the attack that targeted Palestinian civilians who were waiting in line to receive aid packages in the northern Gaza Strip, a field source from the Palestinian Resistance told Al Mayadeen.
