Israeli forces have killed at least 52 Palestinians and injured 340 others near aid distribution centres in Gaza since 27 May, according to local authorities. The most recent attack, near Rafah, claimed the lives of three civilians and wounded 35 more as they waited desperately for food.

The targeting of aid seekers is being condemned by Palestinians as part of a systematic campaign to use starvation as a weapon of war. For 93 consecutive days, civilians have been struck while queuing for survival, with distribution points in Rafah and Wadi Gaza Bridge turned into scenes of bloodshed.

The deadliest of these assaults took place at dawn on Sunday, when Israeli forces opened fire on thousands gathered near an American aid drop zone west of Rafah. At least 32 were killed and more than 200 wounded in what survivors described as a deliberate massacre.

As hunger deepens and Gaza’s lifelines are turned into targets, the message to the besieged population is unmistakably cruel: even in their search for bread, they are not safe.