GAZA STRIP, June 28: The Government Media Office in Gaza has denounced the presence of narcotic pills found inside flour bags distributed through aid centers run by the United States and Israel. The discovery, revealed on Friday, involves testimonies from four citizens who reported finding oxycodone pills concealed within the flour sacks. These aid hubs have been labeled as “death traps” by Palestinian authorities.

Describing the incident as a “heinous crime,” Palestinian officials accused the Israeli military of attempting to undermine public health and disrupt the social fabric of Palestinian society. Citizens were urged to inspect food aid carefully and report any anomalies.

Since May 27, the U.S. and Israel have coordinated an independent aid distribution program named the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (GHF), operating outside the jurisdiction of the UN and traditional humanitarian bodies. Critics say the initiative places desperate civilians in an impossible situation —choosing between starvation or risking death at the aid sites.

Reports from Haaretz included testimonies from Israeli soldiers confirming that unarmed Palestinians were being fired upon under direct orders as they approached the aid centers. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 549 civilians have been killed and more than 4,000 injured near these distribution points since the start of the program.

UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the GHF as “abhorrent,” attributing ongoing casualties to its operations. The United Nations has criticized the scheme as an “Israeli military humanitarian aid operation” that breaches accepted humanitarian norms.

Alarming reports have also surfaced regarding the smuggling of oxycodone — an opioid painkiller linked to the U.S. opioid crisis—into Gaza via flour bags. Pharmacist Omar Hamad cited Gaza’s Anti-Drug Committee, saying the drug was being hidden within and even mixed into the flour. Hamad stated that numerous citizens had found the pills themselves and noted that Dr. Khalil Abu Nada had authored a detailed report on the situation.

Dr. Abu Nada suggested the presence of the drug may explain recent looting of flour trucks in southern Gaza and highlighted the drug’s addictive potential and severe health risks, including respiratory failure.

Journalist Abdullah Attar confirmed similar findings of oxycodone inside aid flour, further fueling concerns. The presence of such substances raises serious questions amid already dire conditions caused by Israel's blockade on humanitarian assistance, which has pushed parts of Gaza into famine.

The GHF aid model has also been linked to increasing violence and casualties at distribution sites, with Israeli forces targeting Palestinians awaiting food deliveries. Since the program's inception, over 500 people have reportedly been killed in such incidents.