Targeting the Hungry: How aid distribution in Gaza becomes a tool for killing

In one of their latest crimes, Zionist forces shot at a humanitarian aid distribution center in Rafah, martyring at least 27 Palestinians and injuring 90 others.

The latest massacre occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, June 3, near an aid center operated by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in southern Gaza.

According to statistics, the Zionist regime's army has martyred and injured over 600 Palestinians near three aid distribution centers established in areas under its control in the Gaza Strip within a week.

These incidents provide clear evidence that these locations function as killing zones, used to deliberately target and kill civilians.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor wrote: "The global silence in the face of Israel's escalating genocidal operations in the Gaza Strip, now approaching its twentieth month, is both shameful and deeply concerning. In recent months, Israel has not only subjected civilians to starvation but also established so-called humanitarian centers near which it targets civilians desperately trying to access meager aid under humiliating conditions."

To date, there has been neither accountability nor any independent, credible investigation into these grave violations.

Deliberate shooting of civilians

Based on witness accounts and information gathered by human rights organizations, Zionist army snipers deliberately targeted starving civilians with direct gunfire, primarily to the head, despite no apparent threat to the Zionist forces.

In one documented case of field executions, Zionist forces martyred Khaled Ahmed Abu Swailam, a 41-year-old Palestinian, on Tuesday morning as he went to an aid distribution center in western Rafah to obtain food. After collecting an aid package, he was shot from behind while leaving the center. The bullet struck behind his right ear, lodging in his head, leading to his immediate martyrdom. His body was first taken to a field hospital and then to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

The Zionist army, alongside a U.S.-backed organization managing the aid distribution centers, directs Palestinians to collect aid at designated locations and instructs them to pass through checkpoints. Upon arrival, Palestinians are immediately targeted by direct fire from snipers, quadcopter drones, helicopters, and, in some cases, tank shells, under the pretext that Zionist forces stationed hundreds of meters away are under threat.

U.S.-Zionist aid distribution centers: Death traps for Palestinians

Incidents indicate that Zionist forces deliberately set up aid distribution centers in dangerous, military-controlled areas without providing safe corridors. This creates a deadly trap for thousands of starving civilians who, after over three months of closed borders, risk their lives for minimal food supplies. Many return to their families injured—if they return at all, as some are martyred.

The Zionist army routinely denies responsibility for these serious crimes or attempts to justify the use of live ammunition by claiming that "suspects" approached areas where its forces were deployed. These claims are made without evidence, often contradicting earlier narratives, and demonstrate a disregard for the lives of starving civilians. This pattern is a direct result of the impunity the Zionist regime has long enjoyed.

U.S. complicity in Zionist crimes against Gaza's people

The U.S. role in the massacre of Palestinians is not limited to assisting the Zionist regime in establishing and managing these centers; much of the ammunition used by the Zionist regime in these crimes is supplied by the United States.

Since the establishment of the occupying regime, the U.S. has consistently exported American weapons to the occupied territories, significantly increasing the supply of munitions needed for these crimes since the onset of the Gaza genocide.

According to reports, the U.S. government approved over $17.9 billion in military aid to the Zionist regime last year alone, including the release of stockpiles and direct purchases from American military companies.

Human rights groups believe such aid has directly contributed to the mass killing of civilians and the destruction of critical infrastructure in Gaza.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and numerous media reports, including CNN, NPR, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, have identified U.S. weapons used in Zionist attacks that resulted in the martyrdom and injury of numerous civilians and aid workers, violating international humanitarian law.

U.S. government officials are well aware of mounting evidence that Zionist forces have committed severe violations in Gaza, including with American weapons. Human rights and humanitarian organizations, as well as independent experts, have provided extensive documentation to the U.S. government, and government employees have reported similar findings internally.