DaysofPal – Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) has accused the Israeli occupation and its allies of turning humanitarian aid in Gaza into a tool for forced displacement, calling the latest food distribution operation a catastrophic failure in addressing the deepening crisis.
In a statement by MSF Secretary General Christopher Lockyear, the organization described the May 27 distribution in Rafah, southern Gaza, as “tragic,” noting that dozens were injured by gunfire amid chaos and a severe lack of basic supplies.
Lockyear emphasized that Palestinians, driven by hunger and thirst after over three months of complete siege and aid denial, were met with “systematic inhumane treatment” that has now persisted for more than 19 months.
The statement criticized the distribution model for failing to target the areas most severely affected. Instead, it funnels aid only into locations pre-designated by Israeli forces for civilian gatherings, leaving vulnerable populations such as the elderly and disabled with no access to life-saving support.
Lockyear condemned the effort as a “cynical attempt to appear compliant with international humanitarian law,” arguing that in reality, it functions as “a tool to coerce civilians into abandoning their homes,” as part of what MSF suggests is a broader ethnic cleansing strategy in Gaza.
The organization underscored that the aid entering Gaza is not only minimal, but also often obstructed from reaching those in greatest need, paralyzing humanitarian operations amidst total societal collapse.
MSF concluded its statement by warning that the ongoing “weaponization of aid,” combined with indiscriminate bombing and mass displacement, “may amount to crimes against humanity.” The group renewed its call for a permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unrestricted opening of all crossings to allow the entry of essential supplies, including food, medicine, fuel, and medical equipment.
Just hours before MSF’s statement, 30 Palestinians were killed and at least 150 injured in a massacre after Israeli forces targeted a crowd of civilians approaching a U.S.-coordinated aid distribution point in Al-Mawasi, Rafah — yet another tragic illustration of the consequences of militarized aid under siege conditions.
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