UN slams Gaza killings near aid hub, warns of war crimes

Five-year-old Ayman Abu Hujair receives medical treatment following an airstrike at Al-Hasayneh School in Gaza (file photo, May 2025).

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has condemned fresh reports of dozens of Gazans killed on Tuesday while attempting to access limited food supplies near a private aid distribution hub in southern Gaza, operated by the US and Israel.

“Attacks directed against civilians constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime,” Türk stated. His remarks followed three consecutive days of reported fatalities involving Palestinians trying to receive humanitarian assistance.

He urged Israel to comply with binding International Court of Justice orders, calling on the country to fully cooperate with the UN and ensure aid reaches Gazans "without delay and at scale."
“There is no justification for failing to meet these obligations,” he said.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the controversial aid initiative, has bypassed the UN aid system. UN agencies have repeatedly requested unrestricted access to deliver essential supplies, but entry has remained minimal, far below what is needed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed it has medical teams ready to operate across Gaza but is being blocked from distributing supplies.
“Fifty-one trucks loaded with medical supplies are waiting to reach the few remaining functional hospitals,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic. “Unfortunately, access is denied. There is no functional hospital left in north Gaza.”

On Monday, WHO teams evacuated all remaining patients and staff from the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza after reports of Israeli military activity nearby. “That hospital is now completely empty,” he said.

Critics, including UN officials, argue the US-Israeli distribution model fails to reach the most vulnerable – children, the elderly, and disabled – who cannot walk long distances to access aid distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“The wilful obstruction of access to food and other life-saving relief may constitute a war crime,” Türk warned.

He also condemned the “threat of starvation” facing Gazans, the “20 months of civilian killings,” and the “massive scale of destruction.” Repeated displacements by Israeli evacuation orders and “dehumanising rhetoric” by Israeli leaders aiming to “empty the Strip” were further cited as indicators of serious international crimes.

Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), echoed Türk’s call for an independent investigation into the reported deaths since the private aid hub opened on 27 May.

“There’s so much that has happened in just three days—people seeking food being killed in the process,” he said. “Now, Gazans are asking: ‘Am I going to get food or am I going to get shot?’”

Laurence said multiple reports indicated Israeli engagement around the aid hub by helicopters, naval forces, tanks, and ground troops.
“Our colleagues interviewed witnesses who reported Israeli fire on those approaching the food distribution sites. Other organisations have confirmed similar accounts,” he said.

When asked what the High Commissioner meant by “the most serious crimes under international law,” Laurence clarified this referred to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.