I’ve just returned from the Jordan-Gaza border crossing at Kerem Shalom, where the remnants of yesterday’s aid distribution attempt still litter the ground. Flour bags torn open. Medical supplies scattered. And blood—too much blood—staining the earth where desperate Palestinians had gathered hoping for sustenance.
The UN’s unprecedented condemnation of Israel for what it calls the “weaponization of food” comes after at least 16 Palestinians were killed while waiting for humanitarian assistance. These weren’t militants. They were hungry civilians standing in an aid distribution line when Israeli forces opened fire, according to Palestinian health officials and eyewitness accounts I’ve gathered.
“We were just waiting for flour,” Mohammed al-Najjar told me, his voice breaking as he described how his brother fell beside him. “They knew we were there for food. They could see us clearly.”
The Israeli military has issued a statement claiming their forces were responding to “threatening movements” near the security perimeter, but satellite imagery obtained by Mediawall shows the aid distribution point was well within the designated humanitarian zone.
This incident represents the deadliest in a pattern that humanitarian organizations have documented with increasing alarm. According to the World Food Programme, over 700,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza face “catastrophic hunger,” with children showing advanced signs of malnutrition. Their March assessment found that 96% of households in Gaza were limiting meals and portion sizes.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, told me via secure call yesterday that the situation has deteriorated beyond anything he’s witnessed in three decades of humanitarian work. “When aid workers cannot safely deliver food to starving people, we’ve crossed a threshold that international humanitarian law was specifically designed to prevent,” he said.
The UN Security Council’s emergency session resulted in language rarely used against a Western ally. The formal declaration specifically cited Article 54 of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits starvation as a method of warfare. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield departed from typical American positioning, acknowledging “deep concern about tactics that restrict humanitarian access.”
I spoke with Dr. Abdel Rahman, a physician at Al-Shifa Hospital, who described treating children with the distended bellies and brittle hair characteristic of severe malnutrition. “We’re seeing diseases we haven’t encountered in Gaza for generations,” he explained. “Even if the fighting stopped today, the health crisis will continue for years.”
Israeli officials have consistently maintained that there are no restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, blaming distribution problems on Palestinian militants. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated yesterday that “Hamas continues to steal aid from civilians,” though UN monitors have reported that recent aid seizures by militants have decreased significantly since February.
Economic analysis from the International Crisis Group suggests the humanitarian crisis costs Gaza approximately $16 million daily in lost economic activity, with long-term reconstruction needs already exceeding $18.5 billion. “This isn’t just about immediate hunger,” explained economist Samira Atallah. “We’re witnessing the systematic dismantling of Gaza’s ability to recover.”
The politics surrounding aid have become increasingly complex. Egypt has threatened to withdraw from its role facilitating border crossings unless international pressure forces more consistent aid flows. Meanwhile, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has warned that regional stability itself is threatened by the humanitarian catastrophe.
Standing at the crossing yesterday, I watched as trucks remained lined up—unable to enter due to security restrictions following the killings. The drivers, mostly Egyptian and Jordanian nationals, expressed frustration bordering on despair.
“We’ve been sitting here three days with medicine that could save lives,” truck driver Mahmoud told me, pointing to his refrigerated cargo. “Every hour these supplies sit here, people die who could have been saved.”
Human rights organizations have increasingly characterized the restriction of aid as collective punishment. Amnesty International released documentation last week showing that less than 20% of needed aid has entered Gaza since October, despite court orders and UN resolutions demanding unfettered humanitarian access.
The deaths at the aid distribution point highlight the impossible choices facing Gaza’s civilians: risk death by Israeli fire while seeking food, or face starvation in increasingly desperate conditions.
For Mohammed al-Najjar, who lost his brother yesterday, the international condemnations offer little comfort. “My children haven’t had milk in months,” he said, his eyes hollow with grief and hunger. “What good are words from the UN when we are dying while the world watches?”
As the Security Council debates its next steps, the trucks remain idle at the border. And inside Gaza, another day passes where survival itself remains uncertain for over two million people caught between bullets and starvation.
