By Elham Asaad Buaras
London, (The Muslim News): A grave new report from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz alleges that Israeli soldiers were explicitly ordered to use lethal force against Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid near distribution sites in Gaza. According to unnamed soldiers, military commanders instructed troops to “fire at the crowds to keep them back,” deploying deadly force against civilians who posed no apparent threat. Internal military legal officials have reportedly challenged claims that these shootings were isolated incidents, raising evidence of systemic violence.
This troubling revelation resonates with the harsh condemnation from Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), who described the Israeli-coordinated Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as a “killing field.” Lazzarini warned that over 400 Palestinians have been shot and killed in just one month while attempting to access food through this aid system—a catastrophic failure that has transformed humanitarian efforts into a deadly trap.
The Israeli Defense Forces deny issuing any deliberate orders to shoot civilians, asserting that “any allegation of deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action taken as necessary.” Yet, Gaza’s health authorities report hundreds of fatalities and thousands of injuries near aid distribution points in recent weeks.
On Friday, UNRWA’s Philippe Lazzarini delivered a searing critique of the GHF system, calling it “catastrophic” and stating, “The new aid distribution system has become a killing field. Over 400 starving people have been reported killed since it started operating just a month ago. They were shot at while trying to access food for themselves and their families.”
He condemned the system’s underlying rationale, noting, “It is not designed to address hunger and is often justified using the pretext of aid diversion that is yet to be substantiated, let alone proven.” Lazzarini went further, describing the GHF as an “abomination” and appealing for a return to “principled humanitarian action—through the UN.” He warned, “Instead of ‘orderly food distribution,’ this system brings dehumanisation, chaos, and death. This cannot become the new norm.”
Since late May, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported over 500 Palestinians killed and more than 4,000 wounded near aid distribution points operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation or along routes for UN food convoys. Medical facilities across Gaza—including Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat and Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City—have received dozens of casualties, many injured while waiting for aid. These incidents include deadly shootings near aid queues in Rafah, Jabalia, Khan Younis, and Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah district.
On Tuesday alone, at least 54 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip due to Israeli airstrikes, artillery fire, and gunfire near aid points. Among the victims were civilians sheltering at the Osama bin Zaid School in northern Gaza, including five children. Several others were killed or wounded near distribution centres and displacement tents, according to local reports.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 130,000 injured since the conflict began in October 2023, with the true figures likely higher due to ongoing hostilities hindering rescue efforts.
International legal bodies have aken note of these developments. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza conflict. Concurrently, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in January 2024 that Israel must prevent genocidal acts and ensure humanitarian access to Gaza.
Humanitarian organisations continue to call for an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of the siege, and unhindered access to food, medicine, clean water, and fuel. Lazzarini concluded his statement with an urgent appeal to the global community, “We need a return to principled humanitarian action—through the UN—and an end to the suffering of civilians who have borne the brunt of this war.”
[Photo: A view of an Israeli missile as it is targeted to a house belonging to the al-Sus family in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on June 27, 2025.
Photojournalist: Hassan Jedi/AA]
