Aid deliveries have become known as “death traps” in Gaza.
Karam al-Shawwa understands why.
On 29 February, he witnessed the Flour Bag Massacre. Israel opened fire on Palestinians waiting for food on al-Rashid street, southwest of Gaza City, that day.
As a result, 118 people were killed.
Karam had been among the crowds. He and his friend Muhammad had retreated from the scene once they heard a warning to disperse from an Israeli soldier.
Soon after they had begun to move away, they saw the Israeli military attacking the crowd.
The horrific incident convinced Karam that queuing for aid was too dangerous. Yet a few days later, he found himself running toward a place where, according to news spread by word of mouth, flour was available in tonnes.
As his family had nothing left to eat, Karam felt that collecting a small amount of flour was necessary.
“Unfortunately, some of us were too late,” he said. “I saw people desperately taking some flour from the ground. The flour was mixed with sand. But these people felt it was better to take it than to go back to their families emptyhanded.”
Karam has observed some of the most terrible incidents in Israel’s current genocidal war. His home was near al-Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital…..more
