Geneva/Gaza, June 26: The United Nations on Tuesday accused Israel of using food as a weapon in the Gaza Strip and warned that such actions may constitute a war crime, amid growing concern over the mounting humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Speaking in Geneva, UN human rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said Israel’s military must “stop shooting at people trying to get food,” as reports emerged of hundreds of Palestinians being killed while attempting to access aid.
“The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime,” Kheetan said, noting that a legal determination could only be made by a competent court.
The UN said in May that “100 percent of the population” in Gaza is at risk of famine following a months-long blockade. Kheetan added that civilians are facing an “inhumane choice” between starvation or being killed while seeking food.
Since May 26, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — a newly launched, U.S.- and Israeli-backed initiative — has operated a food distribution system in Gaza. But the UN and major aid organizations have refused to cooperate with GHF, citing concerns over transparency and alignment with Israeli military objectives.
Kheetan pointed to “scenes of chaos” around GHF distribution points and cited figures from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry and NGOs that over 410 Palestinians have been killed trying to access GHF aid, and 93 others while approaching UN or humanitarian convoys. At least 3,000 people have reportedly been injured in such incidents.
Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), described the GHF’s efforts as “an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people.”
“It is a death trap costing more lives than it saves,” Lazzarini said at a press conference in Berlin, urging that UNRWA and the wider humanitarian community be allowed to resume independent food distribution in Gaza. Israel has previously banned UNRWA from operating on its soil, accusing it of ties to Hamas — a charge the agency denies.
Despite the criticism, GHF said Monday it had distributed approximately 680,000 food boxes since its launch. “GHF workers continue to provide meals safely and securely,” interim chief John Acree said. “Our system is working, and we will press on.”
The UN human rights office called for immediate action to ensure safe and equitable food access and stressed that humanitarian assistance should “never be used as a bargaining chip in any conflict.”
