Flour and cooking oil turned into ‘lures of death’ for thousands of Palestinians

More than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed while seeking food aid across Gaza since the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations in May 2025, according to UN. The US and Israeli-backed aid system has created what witnesses describe as deadly conditions at distribution sites, where desperate families risk their lives for basic supplies.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operates just four heavily militarized aid distribution sites across the territory, forcing Palestinians to travel long distances through dangerous areas to reach food supplies. These sites are surrounded by barbed wire, earth mounds, and watchtowers, with only one access point that allows thousands of people to enter at once when pallets of food are dropped and gates opened.

According to Hani Almadhoun, a senior director of philanthropy for UNRWA USA, “Israel has turned aid in Gaza into a lure for death” as “the flour, cooking oil and sugar meant to sustain life have become lures for death,” said, as obtained by The Hill. Almadhoun’s own 18-year-old cousin, Sameeh Mohamad Hilmi Almadhoun, was killed by Israeli soldiers while waiting for aid at a site in Khan Younis after walking more than six miles to reach the distribution point.

Gaza’s aid system becomes a death trap for desperate Palestinians

The United Nations human rights office reports that 859 Palestinians have been killed near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites between May 27 and July 31, 2025. An additional 514 people were killed while seeking aid from UN and other organizations’ convoys during the same period. The International Committee of the Red Cross treated over 3,400 weapon-wounded patients at their field hospital in recent months, describing the casualties as having “no precedent.”

Medical staff at the Red Cross facility report treating an average of 30 to 40 emergency cases daily, compared to just eight to ten cases in previous rotations. Most patients arrive with gunshot wounds, and medical workers say the overwhelming majority were attempting to access food distribution sites when they were injured. International organizations continue to raise alarm about the humanitarian crisis unfolding across the territory.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was established as an alternative to UN-led aid distribution, with backing from the United States and Israel. The organization claims to have distributed over 95 million meals since operations began, but critics argue the system has failed to address mass starvation while putting civilian lives at risk. Jake Wood, the foundation’s original executive director, resigned before operations began, citing concerns about adhering to humanitarian principles.

Starvation used as weapon of war, rights groups say

Human Rights Watch and other organizations have accused Israel of using starvation as a method of warfare, which constitutes a war crime under international law. The current famine in Gaza affects 100% of the population, with over 640,000 people experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity as of August 2025. Children are particularly vulnerable, with all 320,000 children under five at risk of acute malnutrition.

Israel imposed a complete blockade on food, fuel, medicine, and other supplies to Gaza in March 2025, only lifting restrictions partially in May to allow the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation system to operate. The blockade followed an 11-week siege that severely restricted humanitarian aid, exacerbating what was already a dire humanitarian situation affecting millions of civilians.

Amnesty International has documented evidence showing Israel’s continued use of starvation against Palestinian civilians as part of what the organization calls genocide. The group’s research found that under-five mortality rates in Gaza doubled from 13.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 32.7 in 2024. Maternal mortality has also more than doubled during the same period.

The Trump administration approved $30 million in funding for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation despite internal USAID assessments raising “critical concerns” about the organization’s ability to protect Palestinians and deliver aid safely. More than 240 humanitarian organizations have called for an immediate end to the foundation’s operations, describing the system as a violation of basic humanitarian principles that puts military personnel in charge of aid delivery.