In Gaza, residents struggle relentlessly to obtain a basic staple: flour, nicknamed the 'White Walkers' due to its scarcity and demand.
In the war-torn Gaza Strip, a tragic and unprecedented situation has unfolded. Over 1,400 Palestinians have lost their lives since May 27, 2025, in their desperate attempts to obtain food aid, with nearly 1,400 of these deaths linked to aid queues and distribution violence[2][4].
The Zikim border crossing in northern Gaza has become a significant site of these deadly distribution problems[2][3]. Repeated closures of the crossing have obstructed aid deliveries, exposing vulnerable populations to security threats during distribution. Humanitarian agencies report dangerous conditions with gunfire and crowd crushes causing numerous deaths amid the desperation for food aid[2].
One such victim is Khalil al-Bilbasy, who was wounded at Zikim, stating that he had no choice but to come to the border because there was no food at home. On the day reported, Gaza's Health Ministry recorded 23 people killed and nearly a hundred wounded at Zikim border crossing[6].
The Israeli army denies deliberate targeting but acknowledges firing warning shots near aid site perimeters[2]. However, reports of Israeli troops opening fire on people at Zikim border crossing continue to surface. A 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg while trying to obtain flour, and others have been carried on empty flour crates[5].
NPR's producer in Gaza, Anas Baba, has documented the grim reality at Zikim. He filmed an unconscious, wounded boy being carried in an empty sack of flour[7]. Anas has also observed 86 deaths from Zikim in one day[4].
The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) has delivered large sacks of flour to northern Gaza, considered valuable due to food scarcity. However, no WFP aid that enters through northern Gaza reaches the warehouse; it's all taken by hungry crowds[8].
Desperation has led Palestinians to call the people who successfully obtain flour at Zikim border crossing the "White Walkers," a reference to characters from "Game of Thrones." Thousands of people, including Mohammed Abu Tarabish, risk their lives daily to obtain flour from the U.N. trucks, knowing they are within range of Israeli troops[1].
Mohammed, who stated that he would die to feed his children, and his wife is nine months pregnant, is one of many who have been caught in this deadly cycle. A young man at Zikim border crossing shouted, "This is the price of flour, we're dying and tanks are firing at us."
This situation is compounded by serious restrictions on aid access, chaotic distribution methods, and violence at aid points[2][4][5]. Tens of thousands of people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, but for the first time in this war, the health ministry says there are days where more people are killed trying to get food than in strikes[9].
In summary, the crisis at Gaza's Zikim border crossing is a tragic and deadly one, with over 1,400 deaths linked to food aid distribution since May 2025. The Israeli army's denial of deliberate targeting does little to alleviate the fears and desperation of those caught in the crossfire. The urgent need for aid, combined with the dangerous conditions, has led to a desperate situation that shows no signs of abating.
References: 1. NPR 2. The New York Times 3. Al Jazeera 4. The Guardian 5. CNN 6. Al Jazeera 7. NPR 8. The New York Times 9. The Guardian
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