UN Human Rights Office: “Weaponization of food in Gaza” as over 400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid

24 June 2025

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Situation in Gaza

Thameen Al-Kheetan, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that desperate, hungry people in Gaza continued to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food. Since the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” had started operating on 27 May, the Israeli military had shelled and shot Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points, leading to many fatalities. Reportedly, over 410 Palestinians had been killed as a result. At least 93 others had also been reportedly killed by the Israeli army while attempting to approach the very few aid convoys of the UN and other humanitarian organisations. At least 3,000 Palestinians had been injured in these incidents.

Mr. Al-Kheetan stressed that each of these killings had to be promptly and impartially investigated, and those responsible must be held to account. The killing and wounding of civilians resulting from the unlawful use of firearms constituted a grave breach of international law, and a war crime. Palestinians across Gaza were suffering from hunger and the lack of other lifesaving necessities. The Gaza Strip remained on the verge of famine because of Israel’s closure and blockade, as well as ongoing unlawful restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance. Israel also continued to impose severe restrictions on the work of the UN and other humanitarian organisations, preventing them from bringing and distributing food, fuel and lifesaving assistance into Gaza.

Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution. It endangered civilians and contributed to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. The weaponization of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constituted a war crime and, under certain circumstances, might constitute elements of other crimes under international law. The Israeli military had to stop shooting at people trying to get food. Israel had to also allow the entry of food and other humanitarian assistance needed to sustain the lives of Palestinians in Gaza in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles, concluded Mr. Al-Kheetan.

The full OHCHR statement is available here.

Answering questions from the journalists, Mr. Al-Kheetan stressed that humanitarian aid should never be used as a bargaining chip. The humanitarian aid being allowed into Gaza was way less than what was really needed. Whether Israel was weaponizing humanitarian aid was up to the courts of law to decide. Alessandra Vellucci, for the UN Information Service (UNIS), added that over the previous weekend, the UN and partners had attempted 16 humanitarian movements in Gaza, half of which had been outright denied. On another question, Mr. Al-Kheetan reiterated that the UN was not part of the relief efforts run by the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” as it did not comply with the humanitarian principles. OHCHR was not in touch with the Foundation, he explained. Since 27 May, at least 410 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli military while trying to reach distribution points. It was not excluded that other armed actors had been present and also opened fire in the same area. There was a breakdown of civil order in Gaza, stemming from the destruction of the infrastructure by the Israeli army and targeting of civil defense and police forces, which had led to a reported increase in gang presence and criminality levels. Each killing had to be promptly and independently investigated, he reiterated.