A recent incident in Gaza has drawn international outrage after Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) allegedly fired on a clearly marked World Food Program (WFP) vehicle, escalating concerns about Israel’s treatment of humanitarian workers in the besieged Palestinian enclave. The incident, part of a broader pattern of attacks on aid workers, has been described by some as a deliberate strategy to exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where famine is spreading rapidly.
The World Food Program, the United Nations’ primary food relief agency, announced on Wednesday that it had been forced to suspend the movement of its employees in Gaza following the attack. According to a statement from the agency, two armored vehicles were returning from a mission after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo to Gaza’s central area. Despite being clearly marked and having received multiple clearances from Israeli authorities, one of the vehicles was struck by gunfire as it approached an IDF checkpoint. The vehicle sustained at least ten bullet holes, including five on the driver’s side and two on the passenger side. Fortunately, none of the WFP employees onboard were physically harmed.
While the WFP’s statement did not explicitly attribute the gunfire to Israeli forces, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that the vehicle was “struck 10 times by IDF gunfire, including with bullets targeting front windows.” Cindy McCain, the WFP’s executive director, condemned the attack as “totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP’s team in Gaza.”
The Israeli military’s actions come at a time when Gaza is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by a blockade that has choked the flow of food, medical supplies, and other essential goods. The blockade, which Israel has maintained since 2007, has led to widespread famine and dire conditions for the nearly two million Palestinians living in the enclave. Kenneth Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, has characterized the WFP attack as part of “Israel’s starvation strategy,” suggesting that the Israeli government is using food deprivation as a tool to weaken Gaza’s population.
The WFP’s decision to halt the movement of its employees in Gaza could have disastrous consequences for the millions of Palestinians already facing severe food shortages. The U.N. agency plays a crucial role in providing food relief in Gaza, but ongoing airstrikes and repeated evacuation orders by Israeli forces have severely disrupted its operations. Last week, WFP lost access to its third and last operational warehouse in Gaza’s middle area, and five of its community kitchens were forced to shut down. The shrinking “humanitarian zone” designated by the IDF—now reduced by 38% in the past month alone—has made it increasingly difficult for aid workers to operate safely.
This is not the first time that humanitarian workers in Gaza have come under attack by Israeli forces. In April, aid workers from the nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli airstrike while traveling through Gaza, despite having coordinated their route with Israeli authorities. The attack, which killed seven aid workers, including citizens from the U.S., U.K., and Australia, underscored the dangers faced by those attempting to provide relief in one of the world’s most volatile conflict zones.
The targeting of aid workers has raised serious questions about Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law, which mandates the protection of humanitarian personnel and the civilians they serve. Attacks on food supplies and those delivering them are considered war crimes under the Geneva Conventions. Stéphane Dujarric emphasized the responsibility of United Nations member states to protect U.N. aid workers, stating, “Whether it’s Gaza, whether it’s in Sudan, whether it’s in Chad, whether it’s anywhere else or in Ukraine, in places of fighting, they don’t operate on the whims of [Secretary General] Antonio Guterres. They operate on behalf of the United Nations… It is incumbent on all member states who are part of this organization to ensure the protection of humanitarian workers who work for them, so to speak.”
The broader implications of these attacks are deeply concerning. The disruption of food relief operations could lead to an even greater humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where the population is already facing extreme hardship. The situation is particularly dire for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions, who are at the greatest risk of suffering from malnutrition and disease.
International pressure is mounting on both Israel and Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, to reach a ceasefire agreement that would allow for the safe delivery of humanitarian aid. However, with the IDF continuing its military campaign and the humanitarian zone shrinking, the prospects for immediate relief appear bleak. Israel’s actions have sparked widespread condemnation from the international community, with calls for accountability and the protection of humanitarian workers growing louder.
“As last night’s events show, the current deconfliction system is failing and this cannot go on any longer,” said Cindy McCain. “I call on the Israeli authorities and all parties to the conflict to act immediately to ensure the safety and security of all aid workers in Gaza.”
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