The Tactics Institute for Security and Peace appeals to the Israeli government to immediately stop all attacks on humanitarian missions and to guarantee the safety of aid workers and civilians in Gaza. An attack on a clearly marked WFP convoy is a gross violation of international humanitarian law and basic human rights, and this situation demands immediate accountability and adherence to international norms.
According to reports on 6th January 2025, troops opened fire near Wadi Gaza after permission had been granted by giving them clearance to pass for an Israeli WFP relief convoy. Eight aid staff members who needed food supplies in the delivery of life-giving assistance to besieged people in Gaza aboard were fired on during a convoy en route. The incident is troubling because military action has already claimed thousands of civilian causalities and degraded the humanitarian condition in the area.
The situation in Gaza, holding nearly 2 million people, is catastrophic. Residents have faced long-term blockades and continuous conflicts, resulting in acute shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. More than 70% of the Gaza population lives off humanitarian aid, and attacks on convoys of aid aggravate an already catastrophic humanitarian situation, according to recent reports.
An assault like this undercuts not only the fundamental work of humanitarian agencies but also presents a serious danger to regional peace and stability. The extended instability in Gaza holds far broader implications – a fuel source for future uprisings, perhaps even a potential accelerant to exacerbate already high tensions across the Middle East.
Humanitarian workers and aid consignments enjoy protection under international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions. The WFP convoy was marked and had security clearances prior to entering Israeli territory. Thus, it was a protected entity under these laws. The shooting at the convoy directly violates such protections, placing humanitarian workers’ lives in danger and impeding their ability to provide life-saving assistance to civilians.
The requirement under international humanitarian law is to distinguish between belligerent and non-belligerent persons. If there is a failure to so recognise a properly marked humanitarian convoy as a mere carrier of civil goods for civilians, then the principle involved here is attacked. In practice, the proportionality principle strictly forbids such attacks that will lead to a potential incidental destruction of civilian lives or damage civilian objects, which would amount to more than anticipated military advantage. Fire on such a clearly designated aid convoy presents issues regarding both the necessity and proportionality required by such actions especially when not much of a direct threat from the convoy presented itself.
The Tactics Institute strongly condemns this attack as a blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which obligates all parties in conflict to ensure the safety of civilians and humanitarian personnel. The deliberate targeting of aid workers, vehicles, and supplies constitutes a war crime under international law.
The Tactics Institute states that attacks on humanitarian missions violate not only international laws but also the principles of humanity and impartiality upon which global peace and security stand. It is, therefore, very crucial that the international community holds Israel responsible for such acts and insists that it upholds international standards to avoid future occurrences. The Tactics Institute calls on Israel to immediately stop targeting humanitarian missions and take concrete steps to respect international laws as ways to relieve the suffering of the beleaguered population in Gaza.
