'Starve or be shot': Palestinians decry chaos, death at Israeli-controlled Gaza aid points

Palestinians in Gaza are condemning the newly launched Israeli-American aid distribution mechanism as a disaster, citing deadly shootings, chaos, and inhumane conditions.

The system, rolled out Tuesday under the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation”, a body supported by both Israel and the United States but operating outside the United Nations' humanitarian framework, has triggered widespread criticism.

Eyewitnesses and local officials report that Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on hungry civilians gathered at aid distribution points, killing and injuring many.

The Gaza-based government, Palestinian factions, and international organisations have condemned the mechanism as lacking basic humanitarian standards and endangering civilian lives.

According to the Israeli military's plan, four aid distribution sites have been designated, three in southern Gaza and one at the central Netzarim corridor, which separates the north from the south. However, Palestinians who went to these points say they were met not with relief but with bullets.

‘We waited for hours and left with nothing, just humiliation’

Mohammad Abu Tawila, a resident of Gaza City, walked for over an hour and a half to reach the distribution point in Rafah.

He told Anadolu that despite extreme hunger and thirst, he had to wait for hours before Israeli drones began firing above the crowd.

“People were desperate. They were pushing and running in fear,” said Tawila. “Several were killed and injured. After all that suffering, I returned home empty-handed. My family is still without food. We're living in despair.”

Another eyewitness, who chose to remain anonymous, said: “There’s no clear system. No safe paths. Israeli drones fly overhead. People are killed or trampled trying to escape. It’s chaos.”

Killings near aid centres

Gaza's Government Media Office reported on Wednesday that Israeli forces killed 10 and injured 62 Palestinians over two days near the aid sites in Rafah.

The office said the army had directed people to these centres, only to open fire on them later.

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor confirmed that six Palestinian civilians, including a woman, were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday as they tried to access aid north of Rafah.

Rights groups and international observers have condemned the distribution points as dangerous and unregulated, located in desolate areas surrounded by barbed wire and lacking any safety or organisational structure.

Humanitarian agencies say the method bypasses the UN’s experience in aid delivery and exposes people to violence and humiliation.

‘Either die from hunger or bullets’

Khoulah Ismail, a Palestinian woman who tried to get aid on Wednesday, described the experience as “a journey full of humiliation”. Despite hours of waiting, she did not receive any food.

“The army executed a young man right before my eyes,” she told Anadolu. “The choice is unbearable: either die from hunger or bullets.”

The conditions have only fueled more chaos, with people stampeding to get food as supplies run dry. Aid parcels, when distributed, reportedly contain minimal quantities that barely last a few days.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights confirmed in a statement that each package includes only a small amount of essential food items.

Worsening humanitarian catastrophe

The aid mechanism, promoted as a solution to Gaza’s famine, is being widely criticised as a tool of control and humiliation. Observers and survivors say it not only fails to meet humanitarian standards but actively endangers lives, forcing civilians to choose between the lethal risks of approaching Israeli-controlled aid centers or enduring hunger in devastated neighborhoods.

Since March 2, Israel has kept all border crossings shut, cutting off the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.

Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing over 54,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million population.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.

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Source: TRT