A respected medical group, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), is urging that aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) be shut down. MSF says these sites have become extremely dangerous and are leading to "orchestrated killings" of Palestinians. This post looks at MSF's report and why they are taking this strong stance.

Imagine going to get food to survive, but instead facing bullets and violence. This is the reality at some GHF distribution sites in Gaza. People are desperate for food, but the way aid is being given out is causing serious harm.

MSF calls these sites "death traps" and a "murderous system." They say Palestinians are being deliberately targeted while trying to get food. The organization has released a report with medical data and stories from their staff to support their claims.

Medical Evidence of Harm

MSF operates two healthcare centers near the GHF sites. In just seven weeks, they treated over a thousand people injured at these distributions. These are only the cases MSF saw; the total number of injuries is likely much higher.

Some of the victims include:

  • An 8-year-old girl shot in the chest
  • A 5-year-old boy with shrapnel wounds and head trauma
  • A 14-year-old girl shot in the neck

These are just a few examples. Most of the injured are young people.

One MSF medic said that as soon as the roads get busy with people trying to get to the distribution sites, the injured start arriving at their clinic. Some people are even carried in on the same bags they were using to collect food.

How the System Works

Palestinians are forced to go through metal-fenced paths to get to the distribution points. Thousands of people are crammed into small areas, pushing and shoving to get to the front. When they finally reach the aid, they face a barrage of bullets.

MSF's report says this system replaced a UN-led effort that was stopped by Israel.

A pharmacist with MSF noted they were using a month's worth of gauze in a single week after the GHF sites opened because so many injuries occurred.

MSF noticed a disturbing pattern. They monitored GHF's social media, which announced when and where sites would open. This allowed them to prepare for the inevitable flood of injured patients.

The types of injuries they saw suggested that people were being intentionally harmed. The precision of the gunshot wounds indicated that this was not just random, accidental fire.

One person who witnessed the violence said that 36 people were killed in just 10 minutes. They saw about 20 bodies around them, all shot in the head or stomach.

MSF stresses that humanitarian aid should be given safely and with dignity. What is happening in Gaza is the opposite. They call it "dehumanization by design."

Take Action: Learn more about the work of Doctors Without Borders and how you can support their efforts to provide medical care in conflict zones.

A Call for Change

Doctors Without Borders wants these US and Israeli-backed sites closed. They believe the way aid is being distributed is causing unnecessary death and suffering. They are calling for a system that respects the safety and dignity of the people of Gaza.

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