New Gaza aid massacre: MSF slams deliberate Israeli killing of staffer
3 Min Read
MSF demands accountability after "Israel" killed former staff member Abdullah Hammad near an aid distribution site.
-
Doctors weigh a Palestinian baby at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic in al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, April 9, 2025 (AP)
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has condemned the killing of former colleague Abdullah Hammad, who was shot and killed by Israeli forces on July 3 while waiting for humanitarian aid in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. His death brings the number of MSF staff members killed in Gaza since October 2023 to twelve.
According to MSF, Hammad was among a group of civilians who were deliberately targeted without warning as they gathered near a flour distribution truck close to a desalination plant, a location near the site of a similar deadly attack just weeks earlier, on June 17. Medical personnel at Nasser Hospital confirmed that at least 16 Palestinians were killed in the incident, with fears that the true toll may be even higher.
Abdullah Hammad had worked as a hygienist at MSF’s clinic in al-Mawasi for a year and a half, concluding his service only three days before his death, on June 30. A photograph of Hammad being carried into Nasser Hospital in the aftermath of the attack was released at the request of his family.
“MSF is appalled and deeply saddened by this atrocious tragedy,” the organization said in an official statement. “We mourn his death and stand with all our colleagues during this extremely difficult time.”
The organization extended its condolences to Abdullah’s family, particularly his sister Zainab and his brothers Karam and Bahaa, both of whom continue to work for MSF in Gaza.
MSF: 'This carnage must stop'
Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF’s Emergency Coordinator in Gaza, denounced the attack in strong terms. “On 3 July, Israeli forces committed yet another massacre, targeting a group of people hopelessly trying to collect bags of flour off an aid truck in southern Gaza,” he said. “This appalling tragedy killed at least 16 people.”
He further accused “Israeli” forces of obstructing recovery efforts, claiming they “refused to allow dead bodies to be retrieved from the site.”
Zabalgogeazkoa also condemned the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly the deliberate targeting of civilians in the context of severe food shortages. “The systemic and deliberate starvation of Palestinians for over 100 days is pushing people in Gaza to breaking point,” he stated. “This carnage must stop now.”
Twelve MSF workers killed since October
Hammad’s killing follows a pattern of deadly attacks on humanitarian workers in Gaza. Since the start of the Israeli genocide in October 2023, eleven other MSF staff members have been killed amid what the organization describes as “indiscriminate violence".
MSF reiterated its call for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and humanitarian personnel and for full protection of aid operations under international law.
“The killing of our colleague Abdullah is not an isolated event, it is part of a pattern of brutality that has repeatedly claimed the lives of aid workers and civilians alike,” the organization stated. “We demand an end to this bloodshed.”
Read more: Death toll in Gaza surpasses 57,000 as Israeli bombardment continues
