Save the Children has condemned Israel’s militarised aid distribution model in Gaza after dozens of Palestinians have been killed and injured by Israeli forces in Rafah and Wadi Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.

The charity described the killings as a “blatant and shocking disregard of international humanitarian law”, saying in a statement that directing desperate families to military-run sites only to open fire on them is turning aid distribution into a tool of war.

Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s regional director, said food parcels being distributed lack essentials, such as baby formula and nutrition for badly malnourished children.

The majority of those killed have been men, fathers and brothers, who play a vital role in protecting and providing for their families, Save the Children noted.

“Aid is a right, and humanitarian organisations know how to deliver it. But we’re not being allowed to do it,” its statement said. “This militarised model is the weaponisation of aid against a starving population.”

“Every day brings the opportunity to make a different choice,” Alhendawi said, adding that the world must act to protect Palestinians who have endured the “unliveable” and survived the “unforgivable”.