Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned against the repetition of models involving the "weaponization and militarization of humanitarian aid" in the Gaza Strip. The organization emphasized that the experience of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which managed food aid distribution in the Strip over the past year, resulted in the killing and wounding of thousands of people, leaving behind ongoing psychological, social, and health impacts that persist today.
اضافة اعلان
In a report marking one year since the Foundation began its operations, MSF stated that the aid distribution system replaced the humanitarian framework previously coordinated by the United Nations, before grinding to a halt after nearly six months amid widespread violence associated with the distribution processes.
Juan Tobo, MSF Head of Mission in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, explained that the organization documented horrifying levels of violence inflicted upon individuals seeking food under siege and harsh humanitarian conditions. He noted that children, women, and civilians sustained injuries from direct gunfire or during stampedes at distribution points.
Tobo added that many of the injured remain completely dependent on humanitarian aid and community kitchens due to permanent disabilities that have restricted their ability to work and support their families.
According to the organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was established in late May 2025 to operate four food distribution sites, following the reduction of hundreds of previous distribution points. Private American security contractors were tasked with securing the sites, while Israeli forces maintained control over the surrounding perimeters.
MSF indicated that between June and October 2025, its medical teams recorded approximately 32 deaths and provided treatment to 1,885 wounded individuals at the Al-Attar and Al-Mawasi primary healthcare centers in Khan Younis.
The report included testimonies from several victims who spoke of being shot while attempting to secure food aid, resulting in permanent injuries and physical disabilities that have severely impacted their daily lives and livelihoods.
For his part, Nicholas Papachrysostomou, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Gaza, said that the aid distribution plan had extensive social repercussions, forcing the population to live in a state of severe fear and intense competition over limited resources. This, he noted, caused psychological trauma and strained community relations.
Furthermore, the organization asserted that the aid distribution mechanism contributed to exacerbating the malnutrition crisis in the Strip—alongside the siege, violence, displacement, and the destruction of healthcare facilities—effectively helping push Gaza toward the famine declared during 2025.
MSF called on Israel, the United States, and all influential parties to ensure that humanitarian aid is never weaponized or militarized in the future. It demanded that aid be provided in accordance with the principles of independence, neutrality, impartiality, and humanity, ensuring its safe and unconditional delivery to all civilians based on their needs across the entirety of the Gaza Strip.
