This Israeli Advisor Said Israel Was Not Involved In The Flour Massacre Even After The Military Said It Opened Fire
“Israel was not there on the ground.”
Senior Israeli advisor Mark Regev denied that Israel was directly involved in the Flour Massacre despite the Israeli military spokesperson admitting that its forces had opened fire on Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza.
The massacre happened in the early hours of Thursday Feb. 29, when Israeli forces started firing on Palestinians trying to get food from a convoy of aid trucks that had entered the north of Gaza, which has not received any food deliveries for over a month.
Witnesses told Al Jazeera that afterwards, Israeli forces ran their tanks over several dead and injured people.
At least 112 Palestinians were killed and more than 750 injured.
The Israeli army initially denied it had opened fire on civilians, saying that Palestinians had been killed due to a stampede when the aid trucks arrive.
However, witnesses said that a stampede only broke out after Israeli force started shooting at them.
The Israeli military later changed its story and issued a statement calling the Palestinians waiting for food a “violent gathering” that made soldiers feel “unsafe”, which prompted them to open fire.
Regev, a senior advisor to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared on CNN the same day to speak with host Christiane Amanpour about the incident.
During the interview, Regev said that Israel had allowed the aid trucks in to the north of Gaza because it was “interested” in getting aid and foodstuffs to civilians.
“Unfortunately, we saw a situation where there was a mass casualty tragedy where it looked like the civilians were storming the trucks and trying to take the food and out of desperation and, and a crowd was pushing and shoving and people were killed,” Regev said.
“It appears to be a tragedy, but I can tell you Israel was not involved directly in any way,” he added.
“When you say not involved directly in any way, what do you mean?,” Amanpour then asks, adding that Israel had allowed the aid trucks in and its forces had said that they had opened fire.
Regev then said that Israel was only involved in letting the aid trucks in.
“But in the incident of people storming the trucks and the way the truck drivers behaved and people getting squashed and pressed and apparently there being a mass casualties, Israel was not there on the ground,” he said.
“Okay. But they did open fire and people were killed,” Amanpour replied. “So I’m completely confused by what you’re saying because they admitted. The IDF spokesman said it, said it on our air that they opened fire.”
Regev then replied that it was “a separate incident not connected to the tragedy with the trucks” adding that it was “a different place, different time”.
The interview has since gone viral, with people calling out Regev for lying about Israel’s involvement in the massacre.
