Mohammed Rashad Rushdi Al-Rifi was 33 years old and a photographer. He worked for several international NGOs. His work captured the beauty of Gaza and the resilience of its people. His Instagram account: @mohamedreefi. He was killed by Israel in one of the “flour massacres”.
His family lived in Gaza City. He was the ninth of 11 siblings. From childhood, his life was closely tied to photography. He started with an analog camera, then moved on to digital photography.
He pursued higher education at the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza City. He won the first Karimeh Abbub Photography Award from Dar-al-Kalima University in Bethlehem in 2022. His friend, photographer Motaz Azaiza, was also honored.
The Israeli army’s invasion and blockade of northern Gaza during the genocide brought more than half a million people to the brink of starvation. In his photos, Mohamed captured the desperation of residents waiting for aid trucks and how they gathered flour from the sandy ground.
On February 29, 2024, a convoy of trucks carrying flour as humanitarian aid served as bait for Israel to kill 112 starving Palestinians and wound some 760. This massacre was widely shared on social media, but it was not the only one; in the days before and after, the flour was mixed with blood.
On the night of March 14, 2024, Mohamed went to an aid distribution point—where he used to report—at the Kuwait Roundabout, southeast of Gaza City. The Israeli army opened indiscriminate fire; he was struck by the gunfire and died the following day. That day, 21 people were killed and 150 were wounded.
Drawings by Carmen Fernández
Full history to print: 058_Mohamed_Reefi_english.pdf
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