Weaponizing Starvation
Since late May 2025, dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more injured while trying to access food at distribution sites operated by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. On multiple occasions, including deadly incidents in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Nuseirat, Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of displaced people gathered near aid trucks, despite the sites being clearly marked and affiliated with humanitarian groups. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and bloodshed as civilians, many of them women and children, were shot while waiting in line for food. In one of the deadliest incidents, 51 people were killed and over 200 injured near Khan Younis. Human rights organizations and UN agencies have condemned what they call a “lethal aid distribution system,” accusing Israel of violating international humanitarian law by turning essential food access into a death trap.
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