Palestinians face ‘systematic starvation, militarised aid’: UK charity
The United Kingdom-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) has slammed the US-and-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as “state violence disguised as humanitarianism”.
In a series of posts on X, the group said Gaza’s hospitals “are overwhelmed with blood supplies nearly exhausted, and staff pushed far beyond their limits” as a result of the Israeli blockade.
“MAP’s team at Nasser Hospital reports that the nutrition crisis is now so severe that it is preventing people from safely donating blood – a tragic and avoidable consequence of systematic starvation,” it said.
The organisation also called on the British government to suspend all weapons transfers to Israel as the country has “militarised aid”.
“The UK must help enforce a ceasefire, suspend all arms transfers to Israel, and support genuine accountability for attacks on civilians and the systemic denial of aid,” MAP said.
More survivor accounts of Israeli forces shooting Gaza civilians amid denials
Israel’s military, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), and the US ambassador to Israel have all denied that desperate civilians in Gaza were gunned down while attempting to receive food aid.
One 33-year-old at the scene on Sunday told AFP news agency it was “before sunrise” when gunfire erupted as crowds gathered before heading to the GHF aid distribution site 1 kilometre (0.6 mile) away.
“Of course it was the Israeli army who shot live bullets,” said the witness, who declined to be named for fear of Israeli reprisals.
“Thousands of people were waiting at al-Alam roundabout … but the army fired and everyone ran away. There was fear and chaos. I saw with my own eyes martyrs and wounded in the area.”
Another witness in the crowd, Mohammed Abu Deqqa, 35, said, “At first, we thought they were warning shots. But it didn’t take long before the shooting intensified.
“I began to see people lying on the ground, covered in blood. That was around 5:30am. People started running, but many couldn’t escape. The bullets were chasing people even as they tried to flee.”
Amnesty urges action to stop Israel’s use of starvation as weapon of war
Amnesty International says the recent killings of Palestinians at aid distribution points in Gaza harken back to the so-called “flour massacres” last year, “when desperate individuals seeking food were killed by Israel’s military”.
“Such deadly patterns must not be allowed to continue,” the rights group wrote on social media, calling for an independent probe into this week’s deadly violence.
Amnesty also stressed that humanitarian aid distribution “must be conducted through safe, dignified, and effective means” and “managed by professional humanitarian workers, not security contractors” – as is the case with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
“The international community, notably led by the USA, has permitted this appalling humanitarian catastrophe & genocide to unfold for far too long,” it added. “The use of starvation of civilians as a method of war is a war crime that the global community must urgently put an end to.”
1/5 The horrific incident in Rafah yesterday in which Israeli forces shot at starved Palestinians attempting to receive food near a militarized distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation demands an immediate, independent investigation.
— Amnesty MENA (@AmnestyMENA) June 2, 2025
