Gaza: Israel turning aid centres into mass death traps

The Gaza Government Media Office (GMO) has accused the Israeli occupation of converting humanitarian aid centres — established under a US-Israeli initiative — into deadly ambush sites, calling them “mass death traps” used to execute civilians under the pretense of humanitarian relief, the Palestinian Information Centre reported.

Over the course of just eight days, 102 Palestinians have been killed and 490 wounded while trying to access newly established aid sites.

In a statement issued today, the GMO described what it called a “repeated, deliberate massacre” near one such centre in Rafah. According to the report, Israeli occupation forces opened fire on civilians waiting for aid, killing 27 and injuring over 90 others.

The incident is part of what the GMO described as a broader, systematic policy. Since 27 May, when these so-called aid centres began operating in Rafah and Wadi Gaza, they have been the site of repeated attacks.

The GMO said these centres are “operated by the Israeli occupation and an American security company” and are devoid of any independent humanitarian oversight.

“These sites are nothing short of baited killing grounds. Civilians, driven by starvation under an imposed siege and famine, are lured to these areas and then gunned down in cold blood. The project masks itself as a humanitarian effort, but in reality, it is a tool of genocide carried out in full view of the world,” the statement added.

READ: At least 27 Palestinians killed near Israeli aid site in Gaza, medics say

The GMO condemned the use of food as a weapon, labeling it a direct violation of international humanitarian law. It placed full responsibility for these incidents on both the Israeli occupation and the US administration, which it accused of actively supporting the operation — politically and logistically.

Citing Article 2 of the 1948 Genocide Convention, asserting that the killings at these aid centres meet the legal threshold for genocide, the GMO said: “The deliberate use of aid as a weapon to kill, starve, and displace civilians amounts to the intentional destruction of a people.”

It called on the United Nations, the Security Council, and global human rights organisations to urgently intervene. Among its demands are the immediate opening of official crossings — free from Israeli interference — for the entry of humanitarian aid, and the administration of aid distribution through neutral international agencies.

The GMO also rejected the creation of so-called “buffer zones” or “humanitarian corridors” established by the Israeli occupation army, calling them “blood traps designed to herd civilians into mass killing zones.”

Concluding its remarks, the GMO warned of the deadly consequences of ongoing international silence, stating that this inaction is tantamount to complicity and a green light for further atrocities.

“The continued massacres, carried out in broad daylight and in front of the world’s cameras, are a stain on the conscience of humanity,” the statement read. “This is genocide — unfolding live, without accountability,” it added.

READ: ‘Humanitarian staff’ in Gaza are US intelligence agents engaged in espionage, rights group warns