Witnesses in Gaza testified to international investigators that Hamas militants deliberately opened fire on ordinary Gazan civilians as they attempted to collect humanitarian aid. This disturbing pattern emerged during late June incidents near aid distribution points, where victims described unarmed families, including women and children, being targeted.
Testimonies compiled by Haaretz and the Gaza Government Media Office state Hamas operatives fired on crowds at distribution sites—not just isolated cases, but a documented campaign of violence. One account described narcotics deliberately hidden in flour bags: “We have so far documented four testimonies from citizens who found these pills inside flour bags,” raising alarms that Hamas seeks to manipulate the population’s health and sow chaos.
Meanwhile, Israeli military and Gazan officials report incidents where hundreds of Palestinians were shot near U.S.– and Israel-backed aid centers. In late June, over 400 Palestinians died or were injured at these sites. Israeli troops cite safety concerns, labeling routes as combat zones, while the U.N. has launched investigations into possible war crimes related to aid operations.
Despite international focus on Israeli actions, the allegations against Hamas reveal a brutal dynamic: civilians caught in the crossfire of their own militant rulers. Experts emphasize Hamas’s history of exploiting aid convoys and civilian infrastructure, placing non-combatants in direct harm’s way.
For families in Gaza, humanitarian relief has become a battlefield. The U.S.- and Israel-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation rolled out a new distribution model in central and southern Gaza, aiming to bypass Hamas control. The U.N. denounces the model as “inherently unsafe”. Hamas denies involvement but reports from health officials, civilians, and media sources contradict those denials.
