In a disturbing revelation, Gaza’s Government Media Office has accused Israeli and U.S.-backed aid distribution centres of inserting powerful narcotics into flour bags meant for humanitarian relief. Officials allege the discovery of opioid pills inside aid packages, calling the act a “heinous crime” and a “soft weapon of warfare” aimed at further harming the already devastated population of Gaza, reported the New Indian Express.
The office said that at least four individuals reported finding pills resembling Oxycodone—a potent opioid used for pain relief—inside bags of flour distributed by what were termed “U.S.-Israeli Aid Centers,” described ominously as “Death Traps.” In some cases, officials warned, the flour itself appeared to be contaminated, either with crushed pills or dissolved narcotic substances, sparking fears of a potential public health catastrophe.
“This represents a deliberate attempt to weaken Palestinian society and spread narcotic addiction as part of a larger genocidal campaign disguised as humanitarian support,” the statement said.
Omar Hamad, a pharmacist and writer in Gaza, was among the first to raise the alarm. “The most despicable form of genocide has recently come to light with the spread of a drug called Oxycodone among the population. Israel has reportedly been smuggling it in through bags of flour provided as aid,” he wrote in a widely circulated post. “It has also been revealed that the flour itself might be mixed with the drug.”
Authorities have linked the aid distribution sites to the deaths of at least 549 civilians, injuries to over 4,000 others, and the unexplained disappearance of 39 individuals over the past month. In response, the Government Media Office has issued an urgent appeal to residents to avoid the centres, inspect all distributed food, and educate children about the dangers of narcotics.
Calling on international intervention, Palestinian officials urged the United Nations, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and other global bodies to launch investigations and halt the operations of these distribution centres. They stressed that humanitarian aid should be delivered only through trusted international agencies like the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor echoed the concerns, stating, “UN bodies must go beyond verbal condemnations and take concrete steps against the worsening Israeli crimes against Gaza civilians, especially those occurring at aid distribution centres.”
They added, “Under the cover of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Israel has deployed a new mechanism of death wrapped in the appearance of aid. Starving people are now being forced to risk poisoning for basic food supplies.”
The Gaza Government reiterated its demand for an immediate end to the blockade and highlighted that the alleged acts, if verified, constitute severe violations of international humanitarian law.
