US-Israeli aid plan in Gaza used as tool for forced displacement: MSF
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Médecins Sans Frontières has condemned the US-Israeli aid plan in Gaza as a dehumanizing and potentially criminal effort that uses humanitarian aid as a weapon of war.
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Palestinians run following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on June 1, 2025 (AP)
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has condemned the US-Israeli aid plan in Gaza as "dehumanizing", "ineffective", and potentially a crime against humanity, as the humanitarian crisis in the region deepens.
In a powerful statement, MSF Secretary-General Christopher Lockyear criticized the militarization of humanitarian aid under the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The initiative, which aims to coordinate food distribution in southern Gaza, is being used, he argues, to justify continued military aggression and forced displacement of Palestinians.
On Sunday morning, Israeli occupation forces, operating in coordination with an American security firm, carried out a deadly ambush near the Wadi Gaza Bridge, under the pretext of distributing “humanitarian aid”. The assault targeted thousands of desperate, hungry civilians who had gathered in central Gaza in hopes of receiving food and relief.
'Disastrous start' to aid distribution
Lockyear referenced the chaos on 27 May during the foundation’s first distribution effort in Rafah, where dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured while trying to access critical supplies.
“The disastrous start of the food distribution coordinated by the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation confirmed that the US-Israeli plan to instrumentalise aid is ineffective,” Lockyear stated.
“On 27 May, the first afternoon of distribution in Rafah, south Gaza, dozens of people were shot and injured as wholly insufficient amounts of basic life-saving supplies were distributed amid chaos.”
According to MSF, Palestinians, already deprived of essentials like food, clean water, and medical care for months, were corralled behind fences as they waited for survival items. Lockyear described the scene as a grim illustration of the inhumane treatment Palestinians have endured under Israeli occupation.
Aid as weapon of war
Lockyear went further, accusing the US-Israeli plan of using aid as a tool for forced displacement, suggesting it is part of a broader strategy to ethnically cleanse Gaza.
“Through this dangerous and reckless approach, food is not being distributed where it’s neededMédecins Sans Frontières has condemned the US-Israeli aid plan in Gaza as a dehumanizing and potentially criminal effort that uses humanitarian aid as a weapon of war most but is instead directed only to areas where Israeli forces choose to amass civilians. This means the most vulnerable – especially the elderly and people with disabilities – have virtually no chance of accessing the food they desperately need.”
He dismissed claims that such militarized distribution mechanisms are needed to prevent aid diversion, pointing to MSF’s own ability to provide medical care when allowed to bring supplies into the region.
Lockyear expressed his belief that this initiative is a "cynical ploy to feign compliance with International Humanitarian Law. In practice, it uses aid as a tool to forcibly displace people as part of what appears to be a broader strategy to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip. It is also used to justify the continuation of a war waged without limits."
Systematic blockade, mounting desperation
Lockyear highlighted how the broader humanitarian aid system is being choked by Israeli-imposed restrictions. While some aid trucks are allowed into Gaza, many are reportedly obstructed after crossing the border, leaving vital supplies out of reach of those who need them most.
“Forcing humanitarian organisations to move such inadequate amounts of aid when the Israeli siege has created a situation of unbearable need and despair is leading to lootings. This is the consequence of a society being pushed to the brink, its very fabric torn apart by relentless violence and deprivation.”
Call for immediate ceasefire, border access
The MSF chief called the militarization of aid “a broader tactic to reinforce a one-sided narrative” and warned that it could constitute a war crime.
“Along with displacement orders and bombing campaigns that kill civilians, weaponising aid in this manner may constitute crimes against humanity,” he said. “Only a lasting ceasefire and the immediate opening of Gaza’s borders for humanitarian aid – including food, medical supplies, fuel and equipment – can ease this man-made catastrophe.”
The chief detailed that Gaza is currently facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history as MSF teams operate under severe constraints, attempting to care for the wounded and support overwhelmed hospitals amid a constant barrage of airstrikes and crippling shortages of basic necessities.
