UNRWA chief condemns Israeli aid scheme in Gaza as 'killing field'
4 Min Read
Rather than alleviating hunger, the mechanism has turned food distribution into yet another front in "Israel's" war on a besieged civilian population.
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This image shared by Glia International shows a 1.5-year-old girl who was shot by a bullet close to GHF's aid site while in her mother's arms (The Glia Project: X, @Glia_Intl)
The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has issued a strong condemnation of "Israel's" so-called aid distribution system in Gaza, accusing it of facilitating mass killings under the guise of humanitarian assistance. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called out the deadly reality behind the operation, which has led to the deaths of more than 400 Palestinians in just one month.
"The new aid distribution system has become a killing field," Lazzarini wrote in a post on X. "Over 400 starving people reported killed since it started operating just a month ago. They were shot at while trying to access food for themselves and their families."
#Gaza: the new aid distribution system has become a killing field.
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) June 27, 2025
Over 400 starving people reported killed since it started operating just a month ago.
They were shot at while trying to access food for themselves & their families.
Testimonies are coming out that soldiers…
Militarized mechanism
The system in question, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), was established in coordination with the Israeli military and US private contractors as a supposed solution to aid delivery. But in practice, it has operated as a militarized mechanism that humanitarian experts say has deepened Gaza's suffering rather than relieved it. The GHF uses biometric screening and fortified distribution points, bypassing UN agencies and long-established humanitarian protocols. UN officials and aid organizations have refused to cooperate with the Foundation, citing its violation of neutrality and international humanitarian standards.
Rather than alleviating hunger, the mechanism has turned food distribution into yet another front in "Israel's" war on a besieged civilian population. Legal experts and human rights groups have warned that the foundation and its backers may be complicit in war crimes, pointing to credible evidence that Palestinians gathering at aid points have been targeted with live ammunition.
"In the chaos, children were separated from their families: disoriented and traumatized," Lazzarini noted.
Engineered Humanitarian Catastrophe
The deadly aid model has sparked global outrage. Médecins Sans Frontières described it as "slaughter masquerading as aid," while the UN Secretary-General declared it "inherently unsafe". At least 15 international rights groups have issued legal warnings to GHF and its affiliated entities, and Swiss authorities have opened investigations into the Foundation's Geneva affiliate for violating international law.
The UN official did not mince words in his assessment of the system, which he said is based on false claims and dangerous assumptions. "Not designed to address hunger and is often justified using the pretext of aid diversion that is yet to be substantiated let alone proven," he said.
Lazzarini made clear that the current model does not reflect any genuine effort to meet humanitarian needs. "Instead of 'orderly food distribution,' this system brings dehumanization, chaos and death," he said. "This cannot become the new norm."
Read more: Boston Consulting Group withdraws from GHF
Calling it an "abomination", the UNRWA chief demanded an immediate return to UN-led relief operations, the lifting of "Israel's" siege on Gaza, and a full ceasefire to halt what he described as an engineered humanitarian catastrophe. He urged the international community to step up and restore the flow of food, fuel, and medicine to a population deliberately starved and brutalized under occupation.
Laced flour
Adding to the mounting concerns, Gaza's authorities on Friday accused the Israeli occupation of smuggling narcotic substances into the Strip under the guise of aid. According to an official statement by the Government Media Office, drug tablets were discovered concealed inside flour bags distributed through US- and Israeli-operated aid centers.
"These pills were found during meticulous inspections of aid bags that entered Gaza," the statement read. "This is a deliberate attempt to dismantle society from within."
Confirmation of circulating reports and news from the Government Media Office. Today, while opening a bag of flour, 80 mg of narcotic pills (80 mg) were found. This flour contains oxycodone... a highly dangerous narcotic substance! pic.twitter.com/fxo4ndXwfB
— dr. mohammed hamad - Gaza (@Medo198518) June 27, 2025
The office described the act as a "heinous crime" aimed at spreading addiction and destabilizing Gaza's social fabric amid war and humanitarian collapse. The statement held the Israeli occupation fully responsible and called on international organizations to launch an immediate investigation into what it described as a coordinated campaign against the Palestinian people.
In a public advisory, Gaza's authorities also urged residents to inspect all aid contents carefully and report any suspicious materials. This accusation comes on the heels of earlier reports revealing that Israeli soldiers received direct orders to open fire on unarmed civilians at aid distribution sites, a pattern that has now been linked to both lethal force and possible chemical warfare through food supplies.
