RAMALLAH, July 21, 2025 (WAFA) – On the morning of July 20, a convoy of 25 trucks carrying critical food aid from the World Food Programme (WFP) crossed the Zikim border point into northern Gaza, aiming to reach communities on the brink of starvation.
Shortly after passing the final Israeli checkpoint, the convoy was met by large crowds of desperate civilians who had gathered in anticipation of urgently needed food supplies. As the convoy approached, Israeli tanks and snipers opened fire on the surrounding crowd, according to a statement from WFP.
The UN agency described the incident as tragic and said it resulted in the loss of countless civilian lives, with many others sustaining life-threatening injuries. “These people were simply trying to feed themselves and their families,” WFP said. “This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions in which humanitarian operations are being carried out in Gaza.”
The attack occurred despite repeated assurances from Israeli authorities that humanitarian corridors would be respected and that military personnel would not be present along aid convoy routes.
“There must never be armed actors near or around our humanitarian convoys,” the agency emphasized. “Shooting in the vicinity of aid missions, convoys, and food distributions must end immediately. Any violence against civilians seeking humanitarian assistance is completely unacceptable.”
WFP reaffirmed its commitment to the core humanitarian principles of independence, neutrality, and impartiality—values it says are fundamental to the trust placed in it by communities around the world.
The organization also called for urgent protection for both civilians and aid workers who are risking their lives to deliver life-saving support. “Our teams should not have to choose between saving lives and risking their own,” WFP said. “Without safe and secure conditions, we cannot continue our operations in Gaza.”
The hunger crisis in Gaza has reached what WFP described as “unprecedented levels of desperation.” People are dying due to a lack of access to food, and rates of malnutrition are surging. An estimated 90,000 women and children require immediate nutritional treatment. Nearly one in three people in Gaza goes without food for days at a time. With prices soaring—one kilogram of flour now costs over $100 in local markets—humanitarian food aid remains the only lifeline for most families.
WFP warned that only a dramatic scale-up of food distributions can stabilize the crisis, ease public anxiety, and restore trust that more assistance is on the way.
“A ceasefire is long overdue,” the agency added. “All hostages must be released, and humanitarian workers must be granted safe, consistent, and predictable access to reach civilians wherever they are across the Gaza Strip.”
WFP affirmed that it stands ready to act: food stocks are nearby, experienced staff are in place, and response mechanisms are operational. “We’ve done this before—we can do it again.”
The agency called for international community and all parties to the conflict to immediately facilitate the delivery of life-saving aid to Gaza—safely, securely, and without obstruction.
Y.S
