Gaza accuses Israel, US of lacing flour aid with opioids, calls it ‘soft weapon’ in war
Gaza: In a startling allegation amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Gaza’s Government Media Office has claimed that humanitarian flour bags distributed in the region contain narcotics, specifically the opioid Oxycodone. The statement, issued Saturday, accused Israel and the United States of weaponizing humanitarian aid to deliberately inflict social harm on the besieged Palestinian population.
According to the Hamas-run authority, at least four civilians reported finding narcotic pills inside flour sacks provided through aid channels linked to US- and Israeli-supported distribution centres. It further alleged that in some cases, the opioids may have been ground and mixed directly into the flour, posing a grave threat to public health.
In a Telegram post quoted by Al Jazeera, Gaza’s Government Media Office stated: “We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for this heinous crime of spreading addiction and destroying the Palestinian social fabric from within. It is part of a systematic policy that constitutes an extension of the genocide it is waging against our Palestinian people.”
The office accused Israel of deploying narcotics as a “soft weapon in a dirty war against civilians,” labelling it a war crime and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
The claims have triggered serious concerns about the integrity of humanitarian operations in Gaza. The involvement of US-run distribution networks has deepened the controversy, especially as Palestinians already argue that current aid meets less than 1% of Gaza’s basic needs.
The Israeli government has not issued an official response to these claims. However, Israeli media reports indicate that authorities plan to establish alternative aid routes in southern and central Gaza, bypassing UN-led efforts, a move criticized by the United Nations and global relief organizations.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that since May 27, Israeli forces have killed at least 549 Palestinians and injured over 4,000 near food trucks and aid centres. Since the start of the Israeli military offensive in October 2023, the total death toll in Gaza has surpassed 56,300—most of them women and children.
The growing list of war crime allegations includes ongoing investigations by international judicial bodies. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Simultaneously, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing a genocide case against Israel.
Gaza's statement concluded with an urgent appeal: “This is not just about humanitarian aid being corrupted. It is about a deliberate attack on the minds and bodies of our people. The world must take notice and act.”
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
