DaysofPal – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the killing of dozens of starving Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces in southern Gaza, calling the incident “unacceptable” and urging an “immediate and independent investigation” into what he described as another grave attack on desperate civilians trying to access food.
The condemnation comes after the Israeli military opened fire on crowds gathered at the Al-Tahliyah Roundabout in Khan Younis, where humanitarian aid was reportedly being distributed. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 51 Palestinians were killed and over 200 others injured—20 of them critically—during the assault.
In remarks delivered by Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq at the UN’s daily press briefing in Geneva, Guterres expressed deep alarm at the repeated pattern of violence against civilians seeking aid. “People in Gaza are once again being shot at while trying to obtain food,” Haq relayed. “This is unacceptable.”
The UN chief reiterated that Israel bears legal obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the safe and unobstructed delivery of humanitarian assistance. “The basic needs of the Palestinian population in Gaza are enormous and remain unmet,” Guterres said, calling for immediate access and accountability.
The attack comes amid a highly controversial aid distribution scheme led by a U.S.- and Israeli-backed body known as the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.” This entity has been operating without oversight from the United Nations or other recognized humanitarian organizations. The UN has refused to endorse the Foundation’s efforts, warning that bypassing established humanitarian frameworks risks endangering civilians and undermining international law.
Since the beginning of this uncoordinated aid initiative on May 27, multiple aid sites have been turned into zones of lethal violence, raising further concerns over the motives behind the process and the absence of neutral, civilian protection mechanisms.
Guterres’ call for accountability echoes growing international pressure on Israel amid what many are now openly calling a campaign of engineered starvation. Human rights groups, legal scholars, and UN agencies have consistently documented the weaponization of food and medicine in Gaza—actions that may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.
With over 37,000 Palestinians reportedly killed since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza on October 7, the Secretary-General’s demand for an independent investigation stands as yet another test of the international community’s will—or unwillingness to confront systematic violations of humanitarian law.
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