Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights

June 3, 2025

What happened?

In early June 2025, thousands of civilians headed to aid distribution points in Israeli-controlled areas near Rafah, and on June 3, reports indicated that people were attacked near these locations.

Impact of the incident on civilians

Waiting for food should not expose residents to gunfire, and requires security arrangements that allow relief to be distributed without endangering those in need.

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 “casualties falling near an aid distribution point in Rafah, raising concerns about the safety of the hungry,” making information available to affected families, providing treatment, relief or redress according to the nature of the harm, and distinguishing between established information and 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