UN urges 'Israel' to stop repeated targeting of Gaza aid security team
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The UN urged "Israel" to halt repeated attacks on Palestinians guarding aid convoys in Gaza, warning such strikes worsen famine and violate international law.
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Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli occupation forces airstrike in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 (AP Photo/Mariam Dagga)
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine on Friday urged the Israeli military to immediately halt attacks on Palestinians providing security for humanitarian and other supply convoys in Gaza, warning that such strikes are obstructing aid delivery and worsening starvation among civilians.
In a statement, the office reported 11 incidents since the beginning of August in which Palestinians guarding convoys in North and Middle Gaza were targeted, killing at least 46 people, mostly security personnel and some aid seekers, and injuring many more.
The most recent strikes occurred on 13 August in the As Safwani and Al Karameh areas of North Gaza, reportedly killing at least 12 people and injuring 18 others, followed hours later by another attack in the At Twam area that killed six more.
The UN body said these attacks appear to be part of a recurring pattern of deliberate targeting of civilians involved in safeguarding essential supplies, echoing previous strikes on civilian law enforcement since 7 October 2023.
It noted that dozens of such incidents have been recorded, undermining law enforcement, creating chaos around aid convoys, and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Citing international law, the office stressed that civilian police officers and security personnel are protected from attack unless directly participating in hostilities, which does not include guarding humanitarian food convoys.
As the occupying power, "Israel" is obliged to ensure the safety of the population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, it said, adding that attacks on civilian security personnel violate this obligation.
Engineered Starvation
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said earlier on Friday that the number of "breadwinner martyrs" killed while trying to secure aid has now reached 1,898, with 14,113 others injured as a result of the occupation targeting those waiting for assistance.
The Government Media Office in Gaza added that more than 780 members of aid security teams have been killed to prevent relief from reaching designated warehouses, facilitating the theft of supplies.
It has repeatedly stated that the small amount of aid allowed in, already far below the minimum needs, is often looted amid security chaos deliberately manufactured by the occupation as part of a policy of engineering hunger and disorder.
Read more: Gaza tribes condemn Israeli aid looting amid starvation campaign
The UN rights office also revealed that between 27 May and 13 August, at least 1,760 Palestinians were killed while seeking aid, 994 near GHF sites and 766 along supply convoy routes, with most of the killings attributed to Israeli forces.
While acknowledging the presence of other armed elements in some areas, it said it had no evidence linking them to these killings, and called for urgent, independent investigations and accountability for those responsible.
