As food supplies dwindle and border crossings remain sealed, desperate Palestinians in northern Gaza are flocking to aid centres in a bid to survive unbearable conditions. Yet, these centres have become scenes of tragedy, where hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured even before receiving vital assistance.

Since March 2nd, the Israeli occupation’s complete closure of Gaza’s borders has blocked essential food, medicine, and fuel supplies, plunging the population into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Aid distribution has been chaotic and deadly, with over 250 lives lost at these centres and thousands wounded.

The introduction of the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation,” supported by Israel and the US, has been widely rejected by Palestinians and international bodies alike, who warn it fails to meet humanitarian standards and undermines the dignity of those in desperate need.

In Rafah and other areas, Israeli military attacks on civilians near distribution points have revealed the catastrophic failure of this aid mechanism, exposing starving families to violence instead of relief.