All major aid distribution centres in Gaza remained closed on Tuesday following a declaration by the Israeli military that roads leading to the sites would be considered “combat zones,” sparking fresh fears over access to critical humanitarian relief.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial US- and Israel-backed aid organisation, confirmed the closure, citing “update, organisation and efficiency improvements works.” However, critics say the timing and nature of the shutdown raise concerns over transparency and safety.
Tensions escalated further after at least 27 Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli gunfire near one of the aid centres on Tuesday, according to Hamas-linked local authorities. This marks the third deadly incident in as many days along routes to GHF distribution sites.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed troops had opened fire after “identifying suspects who moved towards them, deviating from the designated access routes.” No evidence was provided to substantiate the threat level posed by the victims.
“This is becoming a pattern of impunity,” said a representative of the Palestinian Red Crescent. “People are starving and risking their lives just to collect flour. Now even that has become a death sentence.”
Elsewhere in southern Gaza, at least eight Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli airstrike that hit a school in Khan Younis, which had been sheltering hundreds of displaced families. Medics and eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as ambulances rushed through rubble-strewn streets to reach survivors.
The UN and several humanitarian agencies have repeatedly called for safe and unfettered access to aid in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is described as catastrophic. More than a million people are now internally displaced, and the United Nations has warned that famine is imminent without immediate intervention.
The GHF has faced criticism for its alleged close coordination with Israeli authorities and lack of neutrality in distributing relief. Tuesday’s closures and escalating violence have intensified scrutiny over the organisation’s role and raised new questions about the safety of aid corridors in conflict zones.
International pressure is mounting on both Israel and its Western allies to ensure that humanitarian access is not weaponised. But for Gaza’s civilians caught in the crossfire, every day without food or shelter brings new peril.
Chioma Kalu
Follow us on:
