“Killing Fields:” Israeli Strikes On Gaza Food Distribution Sites

Areas designated for humanitarian aid in Gaza have become what Israel’s own press recently referred to as “killing fields,” a term historically used to describe mass atrocities and systematic civilian slaughter.

In a rare and detailed investigation based on internal and field reporters, Haaretz revealed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carried out deliberate strikes on coordinated aid distribution sites, despite knowing that the civilians present were unarmed and posed no threat.

Captured from the original Haaretz article published 6/27/25

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the Haaretz report as a “blood libel,” while Defense Minister Israel Katz accused the press of endangering troops. However, Israel has not formally denied the orders described by the soldiers.

This Haaretz exposé reinforces growing evidence that humanitarian zones in Gaza—once protected under international law—have become lethal. With soldiers confirming shoot-to-kill orders on unarmed civilians, and rights groups like Amnesty International documenting parallel violations, including deliberate attacks in non-military zones. Gaza’s aid system is not just collapsing, it is “killing people,” in the words of the United Nations Secretary-General.

Captured from the original Haaretz article published 6/27/206725

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has resulted in staggering loss of life. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as of 25 June 2025, hostilities have killed over 55,600 Palestinians since October 2023. The United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres has warned that more than 400 civilians have been shot dead and thousands injured near humanitarian distribution points, describing the system as “inherently unsafe” and “killing people.

The IDF initially claimed its soldiers acted in self-defense, but satellite imagery, eyewitness videos, and reporting by Haaretz and international medical teams strongly contradicted those claims, showing no evidence of a threat. Independent investigations by Al Jazeera and Human Rights Watch have documented the incident as a deliberate attack on civilians.

Haaretz reports that at least 549 Palestinians have been killed and over 4,000 wounded at aid sites since late May 2025, when the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) took over aid logistics. These revelations directly contradict Israeli military claims that soldiers fired only in self-defense.

Following the defunding and suspension of UNRWA — the UN agency that had managed Gaza’s aid logistics for decades — aid distribution was transferred to a U.S.–Israel-backed private entity. This operation is now coordinated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-registered, Israeli-partnered logistics network established in May 2025. GHF has replaced traditional UN relief channels and operates under military and private security protection. However, the identity of the logistics contractor overseeing ground distribution has not been officially disclosed.

“These so‑called ‘safe zones’ have become death traps,” said Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), warning that the destruction of aid sites threatens the viability of humanitarian response in Gaza.

The GHF has been widely criticized. UN Secretary-General António Guterres denounced the U.S.-Israel aid operation, stating:

“U.S.-backed aid operation in Gaza is ‘inherently unsafe.’”

“Any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarised zones is inherently unsafe. It is killing people”

As of June 2025, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. Civilians, aid workers, and journalists report that relief zones — once understood as protected under international humanitarian law — are now viewed as high-risk targets. The combination of military oversight, privatized logistics, and the collapse of neutral relief institutions has created a scenario in which receiving food can mean risking death.

Estimates of Palestinians missing in Gaza vary but highlight a grave humanitarian crisis. A June 2024 Lancet study put the number trapped under rubble at around 10,000. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says tens of thousands remain unaccounted for amid widespread destruction. Gaza’s Health Ministry claims the death toll may exceed 100,000. A viral figure of 377,000 missing, based on a dataset by Professor Yaakov Garb at Ben-Gurion University hosted on the Harvard Dataverse, was debunked by fact-checkers such as the Associated Press for misinterpretation.