GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza has accused the Israeli occupation of converting humanitarian aid centers—established under a US-Israeli initiative—into deadly ambush sites, calling them “mass death traps” used to execute civilians under the pretense of humanitarian relief.
Over the course of just eight days, the reported casualties have reached 102 Palestinians killed and 490 wounded.
In a statement released Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the GMO described what it called a “repeated, deliberate massacre” near one such center in Rafah. According to the report, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire on civilians waiting for aid, killing 27 and injuring over 90 others.
The incident is part of what the GMO described as a broader, systematic policy. Since May 27, when these so-called aid centers began operating in Rafah and Wadi Gaza, they have reportedly been the site of repeated attacks.
The GMO said these centers are “operated by the Israeli occupation and an American security company” and are devoid of any independent humanitarian oversight.
“These sites are nothing short of baited killing grounds. Civilians, driven by starvation under an imposed siege and famine, are lured to these areas and then gunned down in cold blood. The project masks itself as a humanitarian effort, but in reality, it is a tool of genocide carried out in full view of the world,” the statement added.
The GMO condemned the use of food as a weapon, labeling it a direct violation of international humanitarian law. It placed full responsibility for these incidents on both the Israeli occupation and the US administration, which it accused of actively supporting the operation—politically and logistically.
Citing Article 2 of the 1948 Genocide Convention, asserting that the killings at these aid centers meet the legal threshold for genocide, the GMO said: “the deliberate use of aid as a weapon to kill, starve, and displace civilians amounts to the intentional destruction of a people.”
It called on the United Nations, the Security Council, and global human rights organizations to urgently intervene. Among its demands are the immediate opening of official crossings—free from IOF interference—for the entry of humanitarian aid, and the administration of aid distribution through neutral international agencies.
The GMO also rejected the creation of so-called “buffer zones” or “humanitarian corridors” established by IOF, calling them “blood traps designed to herd civilians into mass killing zones.”
Concluding its remarks, the GMO warned of the deadly consequences of ongoing international silence, stating that this inaction is tantamount to complicity and a green light for further atrocities.
“The continued massacres, carried out in broad daylight and in front of the world’s cameras, are a stain on the conscience of humanity,” the statement read. “This is genocide—unfolding live, without accountability,” it added.
