Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the continued systematic crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces within the context of the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, as well as the escalation of daily attacks against civilians. Since this morning, these attacks have resulted in the killing of five Palestinians and the injury of others, including three victims who were killed in an airstrike targeting a food distribution kitchen in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip. The Center also condemns the deliberate efforts by the occupation forces to push humanitarian conditions toward total collapse through obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid and targeting food distribution kitchens, as part of a systematic policy of using starvation as a weapon.
According to field information, at approximately 1:10 PM on Saturday, 17 May 2026, three civilians were killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a food preparation kitchen “Takiya” near Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. The victims were identified as: Ahmed Salem Abu Asad, Abdul Rahman Ahmed Muhayseen, and Ibrahim Rayan. In another incident on the same morning, Abdullah Ahmed Abu Mustafa was killed in an airstrike near the Rafah Garage area in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Jihad Salman succumbed to injuries sustained in a previous bombardment in northern Gaza Strip.
The targeting of the Deir al-Balah kitchen came after the World Central Kitchen announced on 14 May 2026 that it would reduce the number of meals provided to displaced persons, close several food preparation points, and return operations to pre-ceasefire levels due to funding challenges and financial pressure. At the same time, dozens of Palestinian employees working with the organization protested their suspension from work, with estimates indicating that around 500 employees had been laid off.
With the reduction of World Central Kitchen operations, local community kitchens “Takyias” have taken on a greater burden in providing essential meals to residents, especially as tens of thousands of families rely daily on the free meals offered by these kitchens. Therefore, the direct targeting of these kitchens following the closure of several World Central Kitchen distribution points clearly indicates a deliberate attempt by the occupation forces to worsen humanitarian conditions through the use of starvation as a weapon.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health statement, hospitals in the Gaza Strip received 8 fatalities and 19 injuries as a result of Israeli airstrikes over the past 48 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 874 and injuries to 2,562 since the signing and implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh on 11 October 2025.
In a related context, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate due to the ongoing deliberate obstruction by Israeli occupation forces of humanitarian aid entering the Strip, including medicines, medical equipment, shelter materials, fuel, and even pest and rodent control supplies. This has exacerbated the suffering of Palestinians, especially in overcrowded displacement areas, amid the lack of clean water, the accumulation of waste, and the spread of pests and rodents.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli crimes committed in the context of the continuing genocide in the Gaza Strip, including the targeting of civilian homes, displacement tents, civilian gatherings, and especially the deliberate targeting of food preparation and distribution points, as well as the use of starvation and dehydration as weapons against the civilian population. The Center emphasizes that these crimes coincide with the continued prevention and obstruction of humanitarian aid entry, inflicting collective punishment and severe harm upon civilians.
Accordingly, the Center calls on the international community to take urgent action to stop the ongoing genocide and crimes committed against Palestinian civilians. The Center also urges the International Criminal Court to expedite investigations and prosecutions against those responsible for genocide and international crimes committed in the Gaza Strip and to ensure that perpetrators are not granted impunity.
