DaysofPal- United Nations human rights experts have raised alarm over reports of “enforced disappearances” of Palestinians seeking food at aid distribution sites in Rafah, southern Gaza, operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
In a joint statement, seven independent experts said they received reports that several individuals, including a child, had been forcibly disappeared after visiting aid sites.
The experts said that the Israeli forces have been directly involved, refusing to acknowledge the detention or whereabouts of those affected.
They described the acts as a “heinous crime” and urged the Israeli occupation to end the targeting of civilians under the guise of aid distribution.
The GHF, approved by Israel, began operations in Gaza in May 2025 after an 11-week blockade. However, major UN and international aid organizations have refused to cooperate, citing concerns that the foundation serves Israeli military objectives.
Since its involvement, over 2,000 Palestinians have been killed near aid sites, with many more wounded.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s civilian population faces catastrophic food insecurity, where families are forced to scavenge through rubble or garbage for scraps, while malnourished children wander the streets in scenes described by observers as “slow death.”
Israeli forces maintain strict control over border crossings, blocking grains, medicines, and essential nutritional supplements. Even the limited aid allowed in is insufficient for the 2.2 million residents of the enclave.
Israeli strikes on bakeries, poultry farms, wheat silos, and fishing boats have decimated local food production, leaving Gaza almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid. According to UN reports, half of the population is already experiencing full-scale famine. Human rights groups warn that these conditions amount to “engineered starvation,” deliberately imposed to subdue the population through hunger.
Caught between a suffocating blockade and the destruction of infrastructure, Gazans endure a compounded tragedy.
Observers warn that if the Israeli starvation policies continue, the enclave could face a total humanitarian collapse.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=66974
