Gaza Aid Halted As Israel Declares Distribution Routes 'Combat Zones'
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Gaza’s already-starved population faced yet another blow on Wednesday as Israel declared roads to aid centers “combat zones,” forcing a shutdown of all humanitarian distribution points and further deepening the despair in the besieged enclave.
The Israeli military announced that Palestinians would be “prohibited” from entering Gaza’s aid centers or traveling on access roads throughout Wednesday.
According to a post on X by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, the areas would be treated as “combat zones,” effectively criminalizing the act of seeking food.
The announcement followed the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s decision to suspend all operations for a day, citing internal “update, organization and efficiency improvement work.”
The GHF, a controversial and US- and Israeli-backed body tasked with managing aid distribution, made the declaration amid rising criticism and fresh bloodshed near aid delivery sites.
The shutdown comes in the wake of multiple fatal incidents involving Israeli forces deliberately firing on hungry civilians trying to access basic food supplies.
In one of the most recent attacks Tuesday, at least two dozen Palestinians were killed and scores injured in Rafah while waiting for aid, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
NBC News footage showed wounded Palestinians being carried into Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, many soaked in blood.
“I hadn’t even reached the distribution point yet when the aircraft opened fire on us,” said Ahmad Hassan Bashnaq, who lay on a hospital bed with wounds to both legs.
“I only went there to bring food for my children, and I was shot for it,” he added, capturing the desperation of families trapped under relentless assault.
Dr. Ahmed Abu Sweid, an Australian emergency physician, said it was “the third such event in the last few days,” pointing to a grim pattern.
Similar reports of Israeli fire at civilians were recorded Sunday and Monday, with dozens more killed and hundreds injured.
Since October 7, 2023, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s brutal war against Gaza, according to local health officials.
Aid workers and international organizations have denounced both the GHF and its approach.
Critics argue that forcing displaced Palestinians to travel across a war zone to centralized sites—now declared “combat zones”—only adds to their suffering and threatens the neutrality of humanitarian work.
Former GHF executive director Jake Wood resigned in protest, stating that it was impossible to uphold “humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence” under the current system.
Despite these warnings, GHF continues to present its operations as successful.
On Tuesday, the group announced that Rev. Johnnie Moore, a Trump-aligned evangelical figure, would now serve as its executive chairman.
The group claimed to have delivered over 7 million meals “without incident” since launching on May 26, denying the multiple reports of violence.
But on the ground, reality tells another story.
According to Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “The basic needs of the population in Gaza are enormous and are not being met.”
He emphasized the need for the “unimpeded entry of humanitarian assistance at scale,” a plea that continues to be ignored by Israel and its allies.
As the blockade, bombings, and aid restrictions continue, hope fades for millions trapped in Gaza—abandoned by international power brokers and subjected to a policy of collective punishment that shows no sign of relenting.
