Palestinians Describe Deadly Chaos at Gaza Aid Sites Run by US-Backed GHF

Palestinians in Gaza have described harrowing scenes of violence and desperation at aid distribution sites operated by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), accusing Israeli soldiers and US security contractors of deliberately targeting civilians seeking food. In interviews with Al Jazeera, mothers, fathers, and children recounted witnessing “shooting, killing, death” amid chaotic scrambles for basic supplies like flour and milk.

Since taking over aid distribution in Gaza in May, following Israel’s partial easing of its blockade, the GHF has been linked to over 1,300 Palestinian deaths at aid sites, according to the United Nations. Whistleblower testimonies published in the media allege that many were intentionally shot by Israeli forces or US contractors hired by the GHF. Despite the dangers, thousands of starving Palestinians risk their lives daily to access food at these sites.

One Palestinian woman, speaking anonymously for her safety, called the process “a death journey.” A mother of two, she said she has no choice but to brave the sites to feed her daughters. “There are children who worked hard to get [aid], and men come to take it from them,” she said, describing violent crowds where only the boldest secure supplies. After injuring her arm in a scuffle, she left with just rice, cooking oil, and a can of tomatoes, which she called “a blessing from God.” A child told Al Jazeera he visits the sites to feed his siblings after losing his father. “If I didn’t go to bring it, my siblings would die from hunger. What can I do?” he asked. He claimed to have seen hundreds of Palestinians shot dead at the distribution points. Ibrahim Mekki, from Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, described waiting six hours under the threat of gunfire for two small bags of pasta and a bag of bulgur—barely enough for a single day. “Shooting, killing, death, destruction, and martyrs,” he said of the scene. “It’s a trap, a game … Letting you move a little, then opening fire.” He estimated only 5% of those at the site retrieved anything of value. Rakan Jneid recounted people being run over while rushing aid trucks and Israeli forces opening fire during a fight over milk. Muhannad Abu Jarad also reported being shot at by the Israeli army. A mother of eight shared the tragic loss of her fourth child to malnutrition, saying, “He died in my arms as I was taking him to the hospital.” Her five-month-old daughter is now malnourished due to inadequate food during pregnancy.

As starvation spreads across Gaza, the GHF’s operations remain mired in controversy, with Palestinians describing the aid sites as deadly traps rather than sources of relief.