- The Lemkin Institute has urged an international investigation into claims Israel laced Gaza aid flour with narcotics.
- Palestinian health officials reported symptoms like disorientation and lethargy among recipients; some tests allegedly detected sedatives.
- Israel has dismissed the allegations as “baseless propaganda.”
- Rights groups warn that the claims highlight broader concerns about Israel’s conduct in Gaza amid famine and mass casualties.
Image Credit – The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security
ISRAEL – Israel is facing mounting international scrutiny following allegations that flour bags distributed as humanitarian aid in Gaza were deliberately laced with narcotics, a move that, if confirmed, would constitute another violation of international law and potentially a war crime.
The accusations, first raised by Palestinian health officials and aid workers in March, have now been echoed by the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, a leading human rights watchdog. In a formal statement issued on July 5, the organisation called for an independent international investigation into claims that bags of flour distributed by the Israeli military in Gaza contained “traces of an unknown narcotic substance.”
“If these allegations are verified, they represent a shocking and deliberate attempt to further destabilise an already devastated civilian population,” the Lemkin Institute stated, warning that such tactics could constitute chemical warfare under international law.
According to The New Arab, reports from local aid distribution centres in northern Gaza began surfacing in March 2025, describing symptoms among recipients such as disorientation, nausea, and extreme lethargy.
Health workers who examined patients noted signs consistent with exposure to depressant narcotics. In at least one case, Palestinian authorities allege that laboratory tests on flour samples revealed the presence of unidentified sedatives.
Israeli authorities have denied the allegations outright, calling them “baseless and inflammatory propaganda.” A spokesperson for the Israeli government told The Economic Times that “all humanitarian aid coordinated by the IDF is in compliance with international regulations and monitored for quality and safety.”
Despite the denial, the Lemkin Institute and other human rights organisations are urging the international community to take the reports seriously, noting a broader pattern of concern around Israel’s conduct during its military campaign in Gaza, which has left over 37,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Humanitarian crisis deepens
The narcotics-in-aid claim comes amid one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in modern history.
More than a year into Israel’s military campaign, Gaza’s food supply chain has collapsed, with the UN warning of famine conditions.
Aid convoys have been limited, and those that do reach northern Gaza are often under Israeli control.
A member of the Gaza Health Ministry, speaking anonymously to The New Arab, said the first cases of suspicious symptoms emerged after an Israeli-coordinated flour drop in February.
“People came in unable to walk straight or speak coherently. These were not hunger symptoms,” they said.
The allegations were amplified after social media footage circulated showing labelled flour bags dropped by the IDF, followed by testimonies from recipients and medical workers.
Several unverified reports also suggest Israeli drones were spotted dropping similar aid packages in previously targeted areas, raising fears among Gazans that the aid itself may be weaponised.
Legal and ethical implications
If the allegations are proven true, legal experts say Israel could be in breach of multiple international laws, including the Geneva Conventions, which strictly prohibit the use of chemical or biological agents against civilian populations, and Article 8 of the Rome Statute, which defines the use of poison or poisoned weapons as a war crime.
“This would be a form of collective punishment and psychological warfare,” said Dr. Tessa McCray, a legal expert in international humanitarian law at the University of Melbourne. “It may also constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment under the Convention Against Torture.”
The Lemkin Institute, which has been closely tracking the Gaza conflict, has called for international observers and neutral forensic experts to be granted access to aid distribution sites and medical facilities in Gaza.
Global silence and disinformation concerns
Despite the gravity of the claims, most Western governments have not commented publicly on the issue. Analysts warn that the allegations are also being used as a propaganda flashpoint, with misinformation circulating online from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian sources.
Still, the Lemkin Institute maintains that the seriousness of the accusations demands an impartial inquiry, regardless of political sensitivities.
“These are not rumours to be ignored or dismissed,” the organisation said in its statement. “If confirmed, this would represent a new and profoundly dangerous chapter in the weaponisation of aid against a civilian population.”
The Institute also called on the UN and the International Criminal Court to treat the matter with urgency, alongside existing investigations into alleged war crimes committed during the Gaza conflict.
As of now, no independent investigation has been launched, and the identity of the narcotic substance reportedly found in the flour remains unconfirmed.If you have evidence or information regarding aid distribution in Gaza, the Lemkin Institute has established a secure tip line for witnesses and health workers at www.lemkininstitute.com.