In the early hours of a quiet morning in southern Gaza, the tranquility was shattered by the deafening roar of machine-gun fire, followed by an eerie silence. Ameen Sameer Khalifa, a 30-year-old man who had become the sole provider for his family after Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, lay flat on the ground, hiding from the chaos. His voice trembled as he whispered, ‘We’re dying for a piece of bread. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.’
On June 1, Ameen left his makeshift tent and ventured to a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) food distribution center in Rafah, hoping to secure sustenance for his family. That day, he returned empty-handed. Two days later, he tried again. This time, instead of bringing home a box of flour, oil, and lentils, his body was riddled with bullets. Around him, scores of Palestinians screamed for help, seeking safety from the relentless violence.
A new documentary titled *Soaked In Blood*, produced by Middle East Eye, meticulously reconstructs the events leading to Ameen’s death. The investigation, utilizing forensic audio analysis, satellite imagery, and eyewitness accounts, reveals that Ameen was likely killed by a FN MAG 7.62mm machine gun mounted on an Israeli tank stationed near the ruins of the Muawiya Mosque in Rafah. The evidence suggests a deliberate targeting of civilians heading toward aid sites.
‘If I could have put him in a cage beside me and never let him go, I would have,’ lamented Ameen’s mother, Fadwa. ‘They take the tallest, the strongest, the most beautiful. They shoot them like prey. Why execute someone for bread?’
For decades, Israel has imposed strict controls on Gaza, restricting access to food, fuel, and medicine in an effort to weaken Hamas, which won the enclave’s last legislative elections in 2006. Dov Weisglass, an adviser to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, once described the strategy as ‘putting the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.’ The blockade was so meticulously planned that the Israeli military even calculated the minimum caloric intake required to prevent malnutrition among Palestinians.
However, after the October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel, the situation escalated dramatically. Crossings were sealed entirely, and aid convoys were attacked by vengeful Israeli youth. The United Nations warned that Gaza was being ‘pushed toward famine by design.’ Palestinians resorted to boiling animal feed to survive, while air strikes and quadcopters targeted parents queuing for hours in search of baby formula.
Amid the widespread starvation, the GHF, a controversial organization backed by the United States and Israel, took over aid distribution in Gaza in May. Since then, the United Nations reports that over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access food. Gaza’s health ministry has documented at least 2,531 Palestinian deaths related to aid access since May 2025, with 743 killed and 4,891 injured at or near GHF sites since July. Many of these deaths were reportedly caused by Israeli soldiers or U.S. security contractors hired by the GHF, often acting under direct orders.
Despite the peril, thousands of Palestinians continued to brave the GHF sites daily, desperate for any food that could ensure their survival. A ceasefire was finally reached on October 9, 2025, offering a temporary respite from the violence.
The GHF has denied allegations of civilian deaths at their sites, dismissing UN figures as ‘false and misleading.’ Meanwhile, Israel’s war on Gaza has resulted in over 245,000 Palestinian casualties, the majority of whom are civilians. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, citing decades of occupation, increased violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque, the 16-year blockade on Gaza, and the mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners.
Recent reports based on Israeli military intelligence data indicate that more than 80% of those killed through May 2025 were civilians. Tragically, Mohamed Salama, the director of photography for the MEE documentary, was killed in a triple-tap Israeli strike on the Nasser Medical Complex after the investigation was completed.
Middle East Eye, known for its independent and comprehensive coverage of the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond, continues to shed light on the human cost of this devastating conflict. The documentary *Soaked In Blood* will be available for viewing on October 17, 2025, at 14:00 GMT.
