In brief
As the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation comes under scrutiny, various charities highlight its failure to protect civilians accessing aid amidst escalating violence.
More than 130 charities and NGOs are urging for the closure of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has been operating under US and Israeli support since late May. This call comes on the heels of reports indicating that over 500 Palestinians have lost their lives while seeking aid, with nearly 4,000 more suffering injuries in the process. Prominent organizations like Oxfam, Save the Children, and Amnesty International assert that Israeli forces and militant groups frequently target individuals fetching assistance.Israel, however, has dismissed these allegations, contending that its soldiers do not specifically shoot at aid seekers and justifies the GHF's operations by stating it delivers aid directly to vulnerable populations while circumventing Hamas' intervention. In a joint statement published Tuesday, a coalition of major charities criticized the GHF for fundamentally violating humanitarian principles by leading two million Gazans into tightly-controlled and perilous areas where they risk gunfire daily.Since the GHF's inception, there have been incessant reports of fatalities among those seeking aid, corroborated by medical professionals, onlookers, and the Hamas-run health ministry. The GHF's operational model has replaced 400 functioning aid distribution points, utilized during a temporary ceasefire, with just four military-managed distribution locations, three positioned in the southwestern corner of Gaza, and one centrally located."The bleak choices faced by Palestinians today are stark: either starve or jeopardize their lives in pursuit of food for their families," the statement from the NGOs asserts. Tragically, among the casualties are orphaned children and caregivers, with minors affected in over half of the incidents involving civilians at these sites. The GHF's methods have drawn ire from UN agencies, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres labeling them as "inherently unsafe" last Friday.The UN raised alarms early on regarding the GHF's strategy, warning that it could "militarize" aid, disrupt the established distribution framework, and compel Gazans to traverse hazardous terrains for essential resources. In response to reports of civilian casualties near aid distribution hubs, the Israeli military has indicated that it is reviewing these incidents. Meanwhile, an exposé from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed claims from unnamed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel alleging they were given orders to fire upon unarmed civilians at aid sites to disperse crowds. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently condemned these assertions, labeling them as "malicious falsehoods."The IDF has stated steps are being taken to modify access to these distribution sites, incorporating new fencing and signage to enhance operational safety. However, the coalition of 130-plus aid organizations argues that the GHF does not constitute a viable humanitarian solution for the people of Gaza. "With severe starvation and conditions akin to famine, numerous families report being left too frail to compete for food supplies," they stated.
