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More than 170 charities and NGOs, including Oxfam and Save the Children, have called for the immediate closure of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial US- and Israel-backed aid distribution scheme in Gaza. The demand comes as reports indicate over 500 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access aid since the GHF began operations in late May, following Israel’s partial easing of an 11-week total blockade.
In a joint statement, the organisations accused the GHF of violating humanitarian principles by forcing two million Palestinians into overcrowded, militarised zones where they face daily gunfire from Israeli forces and armed groups. The statement highlighted that 583 people have been killed since 26 May, with 408 deaths occurring near GHF distribution centres, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The GHF’s system, which replaced 400 aid distribution points from the previous Israel-Hamas ceasefire with just four sites operated by US private security contractors, has been widely criticised. Located in militarised zones, these sites require Gazans to make dangerous journeys through conflict zones to access food. The NGOs described the situation as forcing Palestinians to choose between starvation or risking death by gunfire, with children and orphaned caregivers among the casualties. The GHF defended its operations, stating it has delivered over 52 million meals in five weeks, bypassing interference from Hamas. A spokesperson claimed other organisations’ aid is often looted and accused critics of resisting change. However, UN Secretary-General António Guterres labelled the system “inherently unsafe” and said it was “killing people,” arguing it militarises aid delivery and undermines the UN-led distribution network. The Israeli military denied allegations of deliberately targeting aid seekers, stating it is investigating reports of civilian harm and implementing new measures, including fencing and signage, to improve safety. However, a recent Haaretz report cited unnamed IDF soldiers who claimed they were ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians near aid sites to disperse crowds, a claim denied by both the IDF and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “malicious falsehoods.” The charities warned that Gaza’s population, already grappling with severe hunger and famine-like conditions, is increasingly unable to compete for limited food rations. The ongoing violence follows Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, which killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Gaza’s health ministry reports at least 56,647 deaths in the territory since the conflict began. The NGOs described the GHF’s operations as “not a humanitarian response,” urging a return to safer, more equitable aid distribution systems to address the crisis in Gaza.
