Halimah Yacob calls Israel’s actions ‘inhumane’ after over 400 Palestinians killed at Gaza aid sites
Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “inhumane”, following reports that more than 400 Palestinians were killed while attempting to collect food at aid distribution centres.
SINGAPORE: Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob has strongly condemned the killing of Palestinians at aid distribution centres in Gaza, calling Israel’s actions “inhumane”.
“This is inhumane,” she said in a Facebook post on 1 July.
“Starving Palestinians are just trying to get food from the Israeli-run centres in North Gaza, as no other agencies, including the UN, are allowed to do so – only to be mercilessly killed by Israeli soldiers.”
Halimah has been consistently vocal about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza since the conflict escalated in October 2023.
Her latest remarks came after reports that over 400 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to obtain humanitarian aid since May.
According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR) on 24 June, at least 410 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to collect food from newly established aid hubs in Gaza.
These centres were set up on 27 May by the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), bypassing the UN and existing humanitarian organisations.
While Israel and the United States have urged the UN to cooperate with the GHF, the UN has declined, citing neutrality concerns and the militarisation of aid distribution.
“These distribution points have frequently been associated with confusion and gunfire, as desperate and hungry Palestinians rush to collect food,” said UN human rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Keetan.
He added that Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance model contradicts international standards.
“The weaponisation of food and restrictions on life-sustaining services may amount to war crimes and, under certain circumstances, could constitute other crimes under international law.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that “scores of people of all ages are being killed and injured every day” in Gaza.
It noted that large-scale humanitarian operations are not being facilitated, leaving critical needs unmet for survivors.
Israel Acknowledges Civilian Harm
On 30 June, the Israeli military acknowledged that Palestinian civilians had been harmed at aid distribution sites and announced new field instructions following “lessons learned”.
“Following incidents in which harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported, thorough examinations were conducted in the Southern Command, and instructions were issued to forces in the field based on lessons learned,” the military said in a statement.
The statement added that the incidents involving harm to Gaza civilians remain under review.
This followed a Haaretz report on 27 June which revealed that Israel’s Military Advocate General had launched an inquiry into potential war crimes, amid allegations that Israeli forces had deliberately opened fire on civilians near aid centres.
The Times of Israel also reported that artillery aimed at deterring entry into restricted areas had been misfired on at least three occasions, reportedly causing 30 to 40 casualties, including several fatalities.
The military has yet to respond publicly to those claims.
Israel maintains that its operations are intended to prevent aid from being seized by Hamas militants.
UN Chief: US-Backed Aid Model is ‘Inherently Unsafe’
Speaking at UN Headquarters on 27 June, Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the GHF aid model as “inherently unsafe”.
He warned that the system funnels desperate civilians into militarised zones and has triggered forced displacement.
“The search for food must never be a death sentence,” he said, stressing that Israel, as the occupying power, has a legal obligation to facilitate humanitarian relief.
“To those in power, I say: enable our operations as international humanitarian law demands. To those with influence, I say: use it.”
Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning that the humanitarian crisis has reached “horrific proportions”.
In response, on 28 June, Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused the UN of aligning itself with Hamas and obstructing the GHF’s aid operations.
“In doing so, the UN is aligning itself with Hamas, which is also trying to sabotage the GHF’s humanitarian operations,” the ministry posted on X.
The ministry added, “The IDF never targets civilians, and anyone claiming otherwise is blatantly lying.
It is Hamas that is deliberately targeting and murdering GHF aid workers — a crime the UN has never condemned — and is also targeting civilians who are trying to collect aid from the GHF.”
On 30 June, the Israeli military said it had introduced safety improvements around aid distribution centres, including fencing, warning signage, and regulated access routes with checkpoints and barriers to control vehicle movement.
One distribution centre has also been relocated to reduce friction with the civilian population and to protect Israeli troops stationed nearby.
Since the conflict began on 7 October 2023, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that at least 56,500 Palestinians have been killed, including 17,400 children. Over 133,000 others have been injured.
The ongoing siege, compounded by restricted access to food, water, and medical supplies, continues to exact a devastating toll on the civilian population.
