The aid distribution system in Gaza has turned into a battlefield. What should offer a lifeline for a besieged and starving population has become a deadly gamble. Palestinians arriving at so-called “aid points”, funded by the United States and overseen by the Israeli military, face the constant threat of being shot. Nearly 600 have already been killed while attempting to collect food, many more wounded. For thousands in Gaza, survival now depends on enduring hunger or braving bullets.

Reports from Haaretz revealed chilling confessions by Israeli soldiers: they were ordered to open fire on unarmed civilians simply trying to access food. These distribution sites, often in exposed areas with no UN oversight, offer no protection. Instead, they funnel crowds of desperate people into zones of fire. The death toll climbs not only from gunfire, but from stampedes, exhaustion, and despair.

This system is being called out across the globe. French officials have condemned the killing of civilians during food distribution as a disgrace to human dignity. Médecins Sans Frontières demanded the shutdown of this US-Israeli aid scheme, calling it a machinery of humiliation and death. The UN itself declared the operation incompatible with humanitarian standards, warning of its devastating impact on civilians.

International law experts are now urging the International Criminal Court to intervene. The deliberate targeting of civilians, use of starvation as a weapon, and systematic impunity described by Israeli soldiers may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Legal scholars warn that Gaza is being turned into a laboratory of cruelty, where the most basic human needs are exploited for military and political ends.

As Gaza continues to suffer, the world faces a stark choice: remain silent as humanitarian aid is weaponised, or act decisively to hold those responsible to account.