Ottawa, ON – July 10, 2025 – Human Concern International (HCI) strongly condemns the unconscionable and abhorrent attack this morning near a health clinic in Deir al Balah, Gaza. At least 15 Palestinians – including 10 children and 2 women – were killed as they stood in line and waited for the clinic to open.
“These were women and children — patients seeking medical care, families desperate for food and medicine,” says Mahmuda Khan, CEO of Human Concern International.
“They were starving, vulnerable, and looking for relief — instead, they were killed. This is not only a tragedy; it is an ongoing violation of international law by Israel and a profound moral failure of the international community. This must not be allowed to continue.”
This airstrike is not an isolated incident. It is part of a relentless and escalating pattern of attacks on schools, shelters, clinics, and aid distribution points.
“The deliberate targeting of protected sites is a grave violation of international humanitarian law, which obligates all parties to protect civilians and ensure the safe, unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance,” says Iftikhar Shaikh Ahmad, HCI’s Global Chief Program Director. “Canada must condemn Israel’s continued weaponization of aid — whether it is lacing flour with drugs, targeting civilians starving for food, or killing humanitarian aid workers. This ongoing assault on human life, human dignity, and the rule of international law must stop.”
It’s time for Canada to move beyond statements of concern and act with urgency and resolve. HCI calls on the Canadian government to:
The world must not look away. Enough is enough.
Human Concern International (HCI) is Canada’s first and oldest Muslim charity. Entrenched in all our work is our vision for a world without poverty and injustice. Since its inception, HCI has provided humanitarian aid and development support to tens of millions of individuals and families around the world as per our mission to save lives and move people from crises to sustainability through emergency response, education, healthcare, livelihoods, water and sanitation, and child sponsorship programs. For HCI, charity starts at home, and we uplift our community in both times of need and celebration.