Lethal Humanitarianism: Why Violence at Gaza Aid Centres Should Not Come as a Surprise

Strategic Insights -

The June 3 incident, in which at least 27 Palestinians were killed at an aid distribution centre in the Gaza Strip, is not an isolated event. A similar incident occurred on June 1, when around 30 civilians were reportedly killed as people scrambled to get food supplies at an aid centre near Rafah in southern Gaza. The Israeli and US governments and Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) previously denied reports that Israeli troops had fired on civilians queuing for aid. However, after the June 3 incident, the Israeli military admitted it had fired shots near a food distribution complex after noticing "a number of suspects moving towards them".

Key Takeaways:

  • The GHF aid distribution plan, which has been widely criticised, is similar in character to a plan published in December 2024 by Israel's Defense and Security Forum (IDSF). The plan proposes to take control of aid distribution from the UN agency Unrwa and is guided by the principle: "The hand that distributes the aid is the hand that controls it".
  • The IDSF plan calls for responsibility for humanitarian aid in Gaza to pass to a Humanitarian Directorate based on IDP cities and biometric certificates.
  • The GHF scheme has been criticised for concentrating aid distribution into only four "mega-sites" in limited areas in the Strip, leading to overcrowding and chaos.
  • The aid scheme appears to prioritise political and territorial issues over the humanitarian distribution of aid, enabling Israel to further concentrate civilians into makeshift encampments.
  • Palestinians fear that the biometric screening will be used by Israel as a weapon of coercive control, rather than as a means to provide humanitarian relief.
  • The international community must urgently put pressure on both sides to agree a ceasefire and on Israel to open Gaza up for a rapid large-scale humanitarian operation.

Statistics:

  • At least 27 Palestinians were killed on the morning of June 3 amid chaotic scenes at an aid distribution centre in the southern Gaza Strip.
  • Around 30 civilians were reportedly killed on June 1 at an aid centre near Rafah in southern Gaza.
  • Gaza's whole population was experiencing critical levels of hunger by April, according to the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification).
  • 90% of the 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza are internally displaced people (IDPs).
  • The GHF's aid distribution plan is backed by Israel and the US.

Sources:

  • Irit Katz, Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies, University of Cambridge. Lethal humanitarianism: why violence at Gaza aid centres should not come as a surprise. The Conversation. June 2023.
  • Israel's Defense and Security Forum (IDSF). December 2024.
  • IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification). April 2023.
  • The UN children's fund spokesperson Jonathan Crick. The Conversation. June 2023.