Israel’s Gaza aid distribution scheme has sparked fierce opposition from Palestinian resistance and the Strip’s government.
Controversy over Israel’s Gaza aid distribution has erupted after Israeli troops fired upon hundreds of starving people, including children, who swarmed its controversial aid distribution centre in southern part of the Strip on Tuesday, May 27th.
The US-backed Israeli “buffer zones” faced severe criticism earlier, and the firing targeting the starving people has raised more questions on Israel’s plan.
The controversial plan represents Israel’s attempt to monopolise and control relief efforts in the besieged territory.
Critics argue the system aims to drive Palestinians from northern Gaza, which Israel seeks to annex.
Government Media Office opposes Israel’s Gaza aid distribution
In a statement issued on Tuesday, May 27th, the Government Media Office in Gaza said Israel has failed in its plan to distribute aid in the “buffer zones” amid “the collapse of the humanitarian track and the intensifying crime of starvation”.
“We affirm that the ‘israeli’ occupation’s project to distribute aid in the so-called ‘buffer zones’ has failed miserably, according to field reports and even admissions in Hebrew media. Thousands of starving civilians—who have been besieged and denied food and medicine for nearly 90 days—rushed toward those zones in a tragic and painful scene that ended with the storming of distribution centres and the seizing of food under the pressure of deadly hunger. The occupation forces responded with gunfire, injuring a number of civilians—clearly reflecting the total collapse of the so-called humanitarian path promoted by the occupation authorities,” the statement said, referring to the gory visuals of the incident.
“What took place today is definitive proof of the occupation’s failure in managing the humanitarian crisis it deliberately created through policies of starvation, siege, and bombardment. This constitutes an ongoing act of genocide in violation of international law, particularly Article II of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” the office further said.
“The creation of ‘buffer ghettos’ to distribute limited aid under the threat of death, bullets, and hunger does not reflect any genuine intention to alleviate the crisis. Instead, it embodies a deliberate political-engineering tactic aimed at prolonging starvation, dismantling Palestinian society, and imposing politicised ‘humanitarian’ tracks that serve the occupation’s military and security agenda,” the Government Media Office added.
It emphasised five points on the issue.
Firstly, it holde the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the collapse of Gaza’s food security, the office condemned what it called Israel’s “weaponisation of humanitarian aid and its political blackmail”.
The office condemned the manner in which Israel has been blocking international organisations from distributing aid to the people of Gaza.
Secondly, it has called upon the United Nations and the Security Council to “act urgently and decisively to stop this crime, open the crossings immediately and unconditionally, and allow humanitarian organisations to fulfil their duties without occupation interference.”
Thirdly, the office has demanded “the dispatch of independent international investigative committees to document the crime of starvation and to prosecute the leaders of the occupation for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Fourthly, the Government Media Office has urged the Arab and Islamic nations, along with the free nations of the world, “to intervene immediately and activate independent and safe humanitarian corridors that break the siege and prevent the occupation from continuing to use food as a vile weapon of genocide.”
Finally, it categorically rejects “any project involving ‘buffer zones’ or ‘humanitarian corridors’ under ‘israeli’ supervision, as it is the very party responsible for starving, killing, and annihilating civilians.” It alleged that these zones are “modern version of racist ghettos that deepen segregation and genocide instead of saving victims.”
The Palestinian resistance has also sounded an eerie alarm over the mass shootings by Israel under the garb of aid distribution.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has condemned these Gaza aid distribution centres as “mass death traps”.
Resistance sounds alarm
The PFLP issued a scathing statement on Tuesday, denouncing Israel’s approach to Gaza aid distribution, especially shooting unarmed, starving civilians who were seeking food.
The group described the centres as instruments of displacement rather than genuine humanitarian assistance.
“The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine affirms that the occupation’s announcement of the opening of ‘humanitarian aid distribution centres’ in various areas of the Gaza Strip, under the direct supervision of the Zionist occupation and with American funding and sponsorship, are mass death traps, means of detention, and the perpetuation of racist policies,” the statement declared.
The left-wing resistance organisation warned that Gaza aid distribution centres serve a sinister purpose beyond providing relief.
“These centres are being promoted under a ‘humanitarian’ guise, while they are actually being used as part of the Zionist war of extermination and holocaust to which our people are being subjected, especially in light of the ongoing siege and genocide of civilians, especially children, women, and the elderly. They are also a tool of the displacement plans pursued by the occupation,” the organisation said.
The PFLP characterised the Gaza aid distribution system as part of a broader strategy.
“The Front believes that these centres are part of an integrated political-military system aimed at emptying the Gaza Strip of its residents and separating them from their homes, camps, and cities. This is done through direct humanitarian pressure and by preventing aid from entering their areas of residence, forcing them to move to specific points completely under the occupation’s control and supervision,” it highlighted.
The Marxist-Leninist group drew disturbing historical parallels.
“These areas are transformed into gateways for mass displacement and detention, and an attempt to replicate the Nazi concentration camps that Netanyahu is attempting to reproduce through ‘soft’ means,” it alleged.
The PFLP urged Palestinians to reject the Gaza aid distribution scheme entirely.
“The Popular Front warns our people of the danger of becoming entangled in these disguised traps and calls on the masses of our people to be extremely cautious and not to be drawn into any false ‘humanitarian’ slogans issued by the killers and their supporters,” it stated.
The PFLP also called for international intervention to expose the true nature of Gaza aid distribution under Israeli control.
Amid these, a significant change took place in Israel’s Gaza aid distribution campaign.
It lost the sheen and its reality was exposed by one person, from within its top rank, on Monday, May 26th.
Gaza aid distribution director quits
The controversy surrounding Gaza aid distribution deepened when Jake Woods resigned from his position as executive director of the US-backed Zionist organisation, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
His departure highlighted fundamental problems with the militarised approach to relief efforts.
CNN reported that Mr Woods quit after just weeks in the role at the US-backed Zionist organisation, which will help Israel with Gaza aid distribution.
The foundation had launched publicly in early May with significant American support.
Mr Woods explained his decision in a detailed statement.
“I am proud of the work I oversaw, including developing a pragmatic plan that could feed hungry people, address security concerns about diversion, and complement the work of longstanding NGOs in Gaza,” he told CNN.
However, he identified irreconcilable conflicts between the Gaza aid distribution model and humanitarian principles.
“However, it is clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon,” Mr Woods added.
The GHF expressed disappointment with Mr Woods’s resignation, according to CNN.
The Zionist organisation criticised opponents who “have been more focused on tearing this apart than on getting aid in.”
John Acree, described as having “more than two decades of global field experience in disaster response, stabilisation programming, and civil-military coordination,” became interim executive director.
CNN also reported that the foundation claimed to have delivered truckloads of food to secure distribution sites on Monday.
The organisation said Gaza aid distribution had begun at these locations, with more aid trucks scheduled for subsequent days.
The Gaza aid distribution plan has received approval from both Israel and the United States, according to CNN.
Both countries claim the system prevents Hamas from “stealing” aid.
Yet Mr Woods had previously acknowledged serious flaws in the Gaza aid distribution approach.
Speaking to CNN earlier in May, he admitted the plan was “not perfect” but argued it would deliver critical supplies to desperate Palestinians.
He also made a categorical promise about displacement: “unequivocally… will not be a part of anything that forcibly dislocates or displaces the Palestinian population.”
This promise appears to have become untenable, leading to his resignation.
The ethical dilemmas surrounding Gaza aid distribution under Israeli oversight proved insurmountable for the veteran humanitarian worker.
But what’s behind Israel monopolising Gaza aid distribution?
Is it an attempt to fight Hamas, as it claims, or to establish its military hegemony and control over Gaza’s territory?
Territorial control reaches alarming levels
While debates over Gaza aid distribution continue, Palestinian officials have documented Israel’s expanding territorial control.
The Government Media Office released devastating statistics about Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip on Monday.
The office’s statement painted a picture of systematic territorial seizure.
“‘Israeli’ occupation forces continue committing systematic genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people in Gaza, one of the most horrific systematic crimes the world has witnessed in the 21st century,” the statement said.
The data revealed the scope of Israeli control.
“Field data and credible analyses indicate that ‘israeli’ forces now effectively control approximately 77% of Gaza’s total geographic area through direct ground invasion and occupation of residential and civilian areas,” it says.
This control extends beyond mere military presence. The statement described how Israel maintains dominance “through intense firepower preventing Palestinian residents from accessing their homes, areas, land, and properties, or through oppressive forced displacement policies.”
The Government Media Office linked territorial control to Gaza aid distribution policies.
By controlling most of the territory, Israel can dictate where and how assistance reaches Palestinians.
This creates dependency while simultaneously facilitating population displacement.
The office condemned international complicity in these policies.
“We hold the ‘israeli’ occupation fully legally responsible for these crimes and hold complicit countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, accountable,” the media office said.
The statement also called for urgent international intervention.
“We urgently call upon the United Nations, the Security Council, the International Criminal Court, and Special Rapporteurs to act according to their legal and humanitarian responsibilities to halt these crimes,” the office appealed.
Most significantly, the office warned about long-term implications.
“The continued genocide, ethnic cleansing, colonial aggression, and occupation’s domination of the majority of Gaza reflect an ‘israeli’ political determination to forcibly impose a ‘final solution,’ blatantly challenging all international laws and norms,” it underscored.
Competing narratives over aid theft
Hamas has consistently rejected accusations that it steals humanitarian supplies.
The group presents a different explanation for problems with Gaza aid distribution.
Hamas and other resistance organisations, including the PFLP, allege that Israel nurtures criminal gangs within Gaza.
These groups supposedly steal aid to worsen the humanitarian crisis deliberately.Evidence supports these claims.
Earlier this month, Israeli forces killed several Gaza policemen with a precision strike.
The officers were attempting to apprehend a gang caught looting humanitarian supplies.
This incident reveals the contradictions in Israeli policy towards Gaza aid distribution.
Israel claims to want effective relief distribution while simultaneously targeting Palestinian security forces trying to prevent theft.
The killing of policemen protecting aid convoys undermines Israeli arguments about Hamas stealing supplies.
It suggests Israel prefers chaos in Gaza aid distribution rather than effective Palestinian law enforcement.
These competing narratives highlight the politicisation of humanitarian assistance.
Aid distribution has become another battlefield in the broader conflict, with Palestinian civilians bearing the consequences of these power struggles.
The Israeli firing on those seeking aid has set new nadirs for authoritarian regimes to stoop to. Yet, the West isn’t moved by these brutalities, apart from the 53,000 corpses of those civilians, including babies, Israel has killed.
The resignation of Mr Woods and the warnings from Palestinian groups suggest that current Gaza aid distribution models serve political rather than humanitarian purposes.
Until international actors address these fundamental contradictions, Palestinians will continue to suffer while their plight becomes a tool for advancing territorial and political objectives.
