The United Nations has strongly condemned what it called a “death trap” aid distribution system in Gaza, following two deadly incidents in which at least 46 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for food. The UN accused Israel and its US-backed aid partner, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), of running a militarized operation that violates international humanitarian standards.
The attacks—one near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza and another outside Rafah in the south—left hospitals overwhelmed and families devastated. Disturbing scenes emerged from al-Awda hospital, where groaning men with gunshot wounds were laid across bloodied floors.
Among the wounded was the son of Umm Raed al-Nuaizi, who went to collect food for his starving siblings. “My son went to get a grain of flour… now he’s in the ICU,” she told the BBC. “Why are our children’s lives seen as so cheap?”
While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged gunfire near the Nuseirat incident, it denied knowledge of the Rafah shooting. Witnesses claimed Israeli tanks opened fire on civilians waiting for aid without warning.
Since late May, over 410 Palestinians have reportedly been killed while trying to reach food aid sites managed by the GHF, which is protected by private armed contractors and has drawn sharp criticism from UN agencies and NGOs for operating outside traditional humanitarian frameworks.
“The so-called humanitarian mechanism is an abomination,” said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency. “It humiliates and degrades desperate people. It is a death trap costing more lives than it saves.”
The IDF insists it is enabling safe, independent GHF operations in accordance with international law. But with food insecurity deepening, aid volume inadequate, and fears of famine looming, many Palestinians say they can no longer risk their lives for relief.
“They are called death zones,” said Mahmoud al-Ghura, a father from Gaza City. “My son has already been martyred. If I go for flour, I fear I’ll return in a body bag.”
As global attention remains fixed elsewhere, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis spirals further into catastrophe—one aid line at a time.
