• Doctors Without Borders claims the Gaza food distribution scheme is a deadly trap.
• Over 500 people have died while seeking food under the scheme.
• MSF calls for an immediate dismantling of the program.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has adamantly condemned the Israeli-US food distribution scheme in Gaza, labeling it "slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid" and demanding its immediate dismantlement. The organization reports that over 500 people have been killed and nearly 4,000 wounded while attempting to access food supplies through this dangerous system, which it blames for turning humanitarian assistance into a deadly ordeal, according to aa, trtglobal, and channelnewsasia.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which operates this scheme, has been accused of forcing civilians to walk long distances under severe conditions to reach food distribution points. MSF's emergency coordinator in Gaza, Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, described the distribution sites as surrounded by barbed wire and controlled by Israeli forces, creating a hazardous environment that increases the risk to those in need of food. He stated, "If people arrive early and approach the checkpoints, they get shot," reinforcing the life-threatening implications of this chaotic distribution system, according to aa, trtglobal, and channelnewsasia.

MSF has further pointed out that this aid distribution approach hinders access for vulnerable populations, including women, children, and the elderly, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The organization called for the lifting of the ongoing siege on crucial humanitarian supplies and a return to a UN-coordinated system of aid delivery, as the GHF's operations, backed by armed US contractors, have led to chaotic and fatal outcomes for desperate civilians, according to aa and channelnewsasia.