UN says entire Gaza population at risk of famine amid deadly food aid crisis.
Gaza – June 24, 2025 — The United Nations has strongly condemned what it calls the “weaponisation of food” in Gaza by Israel, describing it as a potential war crime. UN officials are urging Israeli forces to immediately stop targeting Palestinians seeking food assistance.
According to the UN, 100% of Gaza’s population is currently at risk of famine, following over two months of complete supply cuts. The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private initiative backed by the US and Israel, began distributing food on May 26. However, major humanitarian organizations have refused to cooperate with the GHF, citing concerns that the program prioritizes Israeli military strategy over civilian safety.
“Israel’s militarised humanitarian mechanism violates international aid standards,” said UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan. “Using food as a weapon and denying access to life-saving aid are war crimes.”
Alarming death tolls have been reported since GHF began its operations. According to data from Gaza’s Health Ministry and NGOs, over 410 Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach food distribution points, with an additional 93 killed while approaching UN and humanitarian convoys. More than 3,000 have been injured in related incidents.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called the current aid setup an “abomination”, criticizing it for humiliating and endangering civilians. He urged that UNRWA be allowed to resume its humanitarian efforts in Gaza to ensure dignified and safe aid distribution.
“GHF’s system is a death trap costing more lives than it saves,” Lazzarini said during a press conference in Berlin.
Meanwhile, GHF claims it has distributed around 680,000 food boxes and insists its operations are “safe and effective.”
The UN reiterated that humanitarian aid must never be politicized or used as leverage, demanding an end to attacks on civilians seeking food and immediate restoration of proper aid channels.