Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights

May 3, 2025

What happened?

A report dated May 3, 2025, discussed attacks on soup kitchens and meal preparation and distribution sites that families depend on who have lost the ability to prepare their food regularly.

Impact of the incident on civilians

Disrupting relief kitchens affects thousands of beneficiaries, and families may be forced to wait in more crowded and dangerous locations to get a meal.

The right of the population to relief

The right to food and water is linked to the right to life and health. International humanitarian law prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and requires respect for the rules governing humanitarian access and the protection of aid workers and beneficiaries.

What is needed to protect the population?

These developments necessitate careful monitoring of the facts related to the issue of “targeting food kitchens in Gaza threatening the source of meals for families,” making information available to affected families, providing means of treatment, relief or redress according to the nature of the harm, and distinguishing between proven information and the legal characterization that requires a competent investigation.

Image: Illustrative archive image that does not necessarily depict the incident described in the article. Image data, photographer, and license on Wikimedia Commons