The Lethal Pursuit of Food in Gaza: The Tragic Story of Abdullah

Mon Oct 20 2025 00:02:09 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Jeremy Bowen reports on the heartbreaking story of Abdullah, a 19-year-old shot dead while seeking food in Gaza, reflecting on the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the lethal nature of aid distribution in the region.

In the midst of a devastating famine exacerbated by conflict and blockades, 19-year-old Abdullah was shot while waiting for food aid in Gaza. His father, Diaa, grapples with guilt and sorrow as he recounts the loss of his son, highlighting a broader tragedy affecting many in the region. This story sheds light on the dangers faced by those seeking basic necessities in conflict-ridden areas and raises questions about accountability for civilian deaths amidst military operations.

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.'

I told him, 'For God's sake, I don't want you to go tomorrow, please don't go.'

He said, God willing, everything will be fine, Dad.

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.

The global body that assesses food emergencies, the IPC, said in its most recent report in August that the famine had reached Gaza City. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is no famine in Gaza, rejecting the evidence of the IPC as an outright lie. The IPC is globally respected as an impartial and expert body.

Famine is why Palestinians in Gaza, many of them young men like Abdullah, are prepared to risk their lives at the GHF sites to get food.

Abdullah’s neighbor, Moaaz, a friend since childhood took up the story of what happened the day he died. They went together to GHF site 4, the only one in the center of Gaza, following the instructions of IDF soldiers about the correct route to take. To get ahead in the deadly race for food, many Palestinians arrive at the GHF sites long before dawn. Moaaz and Abdullah were waiting near a ruined house less than 500 meters from the site.

Then Abdullah said he had to deal with a call of nature, and moved, Moaaz says, about 30 meters away. That was when he was shot dead. Moaaz said he ran through heavy fire to get to his friend. He lived around 10 more minutes.

Diaa told us about his son, and how hard it is to live and stay alive in Gaza.

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 fulfill any of his dreams.

We asked the IDF specifically about the death of Abdullah. It did not respond but told us it does not deliberately fire at innocent civilians.

Reporting and producing this film highlights a severe humanitarian crisis where the individuals desperately seeking aid face lethal dangers amid ongoing conflict, and raises profound ethical questions about responsibility and the conduct of war.