Share this @internewscast.com
The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday that the “weaponisation” of food for civilians in Gaza constitutes a war crime, in its strongest remarks yet on a new model of aid distribution run by an Israeli-backed organisation.
The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began food distribution operations in Gaza in late May, after Israel completely cut off supplies into the occupied Palestinian territory for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.
The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF — an officially private effort with opaque funding — over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
Since the organisation began operating, “the Israeli military has shelled and shot Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points, leading to many fatalities”, UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters at a Geneva press briefing.
Kheetan said more than 410 people have been killed by gunshots or shells fired by the Israeli military while trying to reach GHF distribution sites since it began operating,

The figures regarding the death toll were provided by Palestinian health officials and various other sources, such as non-governmental organizations, and were undergoing a verification process by his office, he stated.

“Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food,” he said, describing the system as “Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism”.
“The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law.”
Asked whether Israel was guilty of that war crime, he said: “The legal qualification needs to be made by a court of law.”

Israel consistently denies allegations of committing war crimes in Gaza and attributes civilian casualties to Hamas fighters, who it claims operate within civilian areas, a charge that the militant group disputes.

Aid system an ‘abomination’, UNRWA chief says

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, also criticised the GHF on Tuesday.

“The newly created so-called aid mechanism is an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people,” Lazzarini said at a press conference in Berlin. “It is a death trap costing more lives than it saves,” he said.
UNRWA had long spearheaded aid efforts in the region, but was sidelined by the GHF’s operations.
Israel has accused UNRWA of providing cover for Hamas militants and earlier this year banned the agency from operating on Israeli soil or contacting officials.

On Tuesday, Lazzarini called for UNRWA to regain access to the Palestinian territory and restart its aid efforts.

Hundreds of people walking along a pathway, carrying white sacks.

Palestinians travelling to an aid centre set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation earlier this month. Source: Anadolu / Getty Images

“The humanitarian community, including UNRWA, has the expertise and must be allowed to do their job and provide assistance with respect and dignity,” he said.

“There is no other alternative to address the challenges of spreading hunger in the Gaza Strip.”

More than 20 killed waiting for aid in Gaza in most recent incident

On Tuesday, Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed 21 people waiting for aid near a distribution site in the centre of the Palestinian territory, the latest deadly incident targeting aid-seekers.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 21 people were killed and around 150 wounded “as a result of the Israeli occupation forces’ targeting of gatherings of citizens waiting for aid … in the central Gaza Strip with bullets and tank shells” in the early hours of Tuesday.
Israel launched its war on Gaza after Palestinian Hamas militants attacked in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, while displacing almost the entire population of more than two million and causing a hunger crisis.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Syed Prottoy was in the back passenger seat and his two friends were in the front when their Mazda swerved off a road near Yankalilla on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula at about 3.30pm today.

Cellphone Technology Notifies Emergency Responders of Fatal Morning Accident

A young international student who died in a car crash early this…
Trump 'blows up rules', hands down huge new tariffs

Trump Disregards Regulations, Imposes Significant New Tariffs

President Donald Trump has declared imposing tariffs of 30 percent on the…
Two groups were fighting with knives and machetes on the rooftop car park outside the Hoyts cinema.

Father of Two Fatally Shot by Police Following Alleged Dispute with Wife

Authorities received reports of a brawl in the parking lot at Westfield…
Six men are on the run after brutally attacking a man with baseball bats near Campbelltown in Sydney's south-west.

Six Men Wanted Following Violent Baseball Bat Assault in Sydney

Six men are on the run after brutally attacking a man with…
Tania Henley

WA Woman Reflects on the Miracle of Comforting a Crying Backpacker

German backpacker Carolina Wilga’s astonishing tale of survival, stranded in the WA…

Man Accused of Attacking Woman with Axe and Running Her Over with Her Car

A man has been taken into custody following allegations of attacking a…

Several Palestinians killed in recent Israeli attacks on Gaza, more casualties found near aid station

Mahmoud Makram vividly recounts the moment gunfire erupted. This Palestinian man was…

Anita Lester Reflects on Depicting Erin Patterson’s Distress

For most Australians, it’s an ordinary Monday. However, two hours away from…

Could inadequate sex education in Egypt be leading couples into significant challenges?

In a nation governed by strict Islamic law, where the topic of…
Thieves have stolen footage for an upcoming footy documentary from homegrown Hollywood star Eric Bana and former AFL player Koby Stevens in Melbourne.

“Disgusting Act: Ex-AFL Star Urges Thieves to Return Stolen Footage”

Koby Stevens and Australian Hollywood actor Eric Bana had dedicated five years…
Republican politician Jared Moskowitz speaks during a news conference outside the migrant detention facility dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.

Visitors Claim Trump’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detainees Are ‘Crowded into Cages’

Amidst the perilous and environmentally sensitive Everglades in the United States, a…
Receipts and a tax return.

Why Experts Advocate for Increasing a Less Favored Australian Tax

To most people, $80 billion is an extraordinary amount of money. Where…