DayofPal– More than 170 charities and NGOs, including prominent organizations like Oxfam and Save the Children, have called for the immediate closure of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial aid distribution scheme backed by Israel and the US.
The groups accuse the foundation of endangering Palestinian civilians by operating aid centers in militarized zones where more than 500 Palestinians have been killed while seeking assistance since late May.
The GHF began operating after Israel partially lifted an 11-week total blockade on Gaza. However, the joint statement from these organizations says that Israeli forces and its gangs “routinely” open fire on Palestinians attempting to access aid.
The Gaza health ministry has reported 583 deaths among aid seekers since the GHF’s inception, including 408 near the foundation’s distribution sites.
In a dramatic shift from previous humanitarian efforts, the GHF replaced 400 aid distribution points operating during the last Israel-Hamas ceasefire with only four distribution centers located within Israeli-controlled militarized zones.
These sites are managed by US private security contractors and are situated in the far south-west and central Gaza.
“Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,” the NGOs warned in their joint statement.
They highlighted that “orphaned children and caregivers are among the dead, with children harmed in over half of the attacks on civilians at these sites.”
The GHF, defending its operations, stated it had delivered over 52 million meals in five weeks, emphasizing that aid reached Palestinian families daily. A spokesperson said, “We’ve delivered more than 52 million meals in just five weeks. Not talking points, not headlines, but food reaching Palestinian families every single day.”
They further accused other organizations of standing “helplessly as their aid is looted” and claimed to have offered assistance in safe delivery, which was refused.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the GHF’s system as “inherently unsafe,” stating bluntly: “It is killing people.”
The UN has opposed the plan from the outset, warning it would “militarize” aid distribution, bypass existing UN-led networks, and force Gazans to undertake perilous journeys for food.
The Israeli army acknowledged reviewing reports of civilians being “harmed” near GHF distribution centers. An Israeli newspaper report revealed that some Israeli soldiers confirmed they had been ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians near aid sites to disperse crowds.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “malicious falsehoods.” The military also denied deliberately firing at Palestinians waiting for aid.
The coalition of over 170 NGOs criticized the GHF’s approach, calling it “not a humanitarian response” for Gaza’s population. “Amidst severe hunger and famine-like conditions, many families tell us they are now too weak to compete for food rations,” the groups said.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensified following the Israeli army campaign launched after October 7, 2023.
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