Tragic Loss: Abdullah's Killing at Gaza Aid Site Highlights Humanitarian Crisis

Tue Oct 21 2025 00:39:18 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The story of Abdullah, a 19-year-old shot dead while seeking food at a Gaza aid site, sheds light on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region, exacerbated by military actions and food shortages.

In a heartfelt recollection, Abdullah's father Diaa reflects on the loss of his son, who was tragically killed at a Gaza aid site. As Israel's blockade leads the region into famine, the precarious situation exposes innocent lives to violence while seeking basic necessities. The International Crisis Group warns of severe humanitarian implications, while narratives from local residents and humanitarian officials illustrate the dire conditions faced by the people of Gaza.

Diaa, a middle-aged father and husband, was a polite host at his family home in one of the refugee camps in central Gaza. But you could see his pain.

Please come in. This is Abdullah's room.

Abdullah was his 19-year-old eldest son. On 2 August he was shot dead waiting for the daily opening of one of the food distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It started operating in Gaza in May, established by Israel and the US and protected by the Israeli military, the IDF, and armed American security guards who are special forces veterans.

In Abdullah's empty bedroom, Diaa hugged his son's school bag.

My darling boy. His smell is still on it. May God have mercy on you, my son, forgive you, and accept you in the highest ranks of Paradise, God willing, with the Lord of the Worlds.

Diaa blames himself. The night before he said to me, 'Dad, I want to go.'

He said, Of course it's an awful feeling, as if I was the one who killed my son, as if I was the one who sent him to his death.

But we needed that aid. I gave up my eldest son so he could feed his siblings, his father and his mother.

Gaza is gripped by a famine caused by Israel restricting food and other vital supplies. The only time that aid agencies and commercial shippers were able to get in adequate supplies was during the ceasefire that started on 19 January this year. That stopped abruptly when Israel imposed a total blockade on 2 March.

The global body that assesses food emergencies, the IPC, reported that famine has reached Gaza City. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies such claims, citing ineptitude at UN agencies in Gaza.

Yet, Diaa recalls a stark truth; In Gaza we are a peaceful people. Abdullah was a young man like any other. May God have mercy on him. He didn't get the chance to fulfil any of his dreams.

Abdullah's story illustrates a broader humanitarian crisis, as Palestinians continue to risk their lives seeking aid, caught in a web of violence and despair.