People in Gaza “starved or shot”: NGOs urge to end the work we support, Israel grows as deaths grow
More than 170 NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have joined forces to call for the demolition of food distribution systems run by U.S. and Israel-backed groups as civilian deaths and injuries near injured Gaza sites.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operating in the war-torn Gaza Strip in late May, becoming the key to a new aid mechanism and diverting the allocation of non-leader aid groups. Since then, at least 600 Palestinians have been killed in the shootings, and more than 4,200 were injured near GHF aid sites or routes guarded by Israeli forces, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
A joint statement from 171 charities urged the international community on Tuesday to force Israel to stop the aid system and allow the United Nations to return to coordinate food distribution.
“Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: desperately reach out to feed their families when they starve or risk being shot.”
The United Nations, which has criticized the GHF since its founding, said its issuance plan is “essentially unsafe” and violates humanitarian justice rules. Aid groups, including Save Children, have also expressed concerns, saying the system puts civilians at risk of death and harm.
The war in Gaza began with Hamas fighters attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and sending 251 people back to Gaza.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel's subsequent military attacks killed more than 56,000 Palestinians. The war displaced all 2.3 million people in Gaza and threw the enclave into a humanitarian crisis.
UNICEF's Rosalia Bollen said the way aid was distributed in the Gaza Strip was “unsafe” and “unfair” and said hundreds of people were killed in Gaza. “When you try to get some food, no one needs to choose between the risk of starvation or being shot,” the agency’s communications expert said.
In addition to Save Children, other NGOs that signed the declaration include Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, Norwegian Refugee Commission and Amnesty International.
GHF responded to NGO calls for an end to the distribution system, saying it provided more than 52 million meals in five weeks and other humanitarian groups “almost all assistance was robbed.”
In a statement to the media on Tuesday, GHF said it was ready to work with other aid organizations.
“We not only do we insult and throw insults from the outside, but we welcome other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza.”
Reported attacks near food distribution centers
The GHF system limits food distribution to a few hubs that armed contractors are wary of. There are currently four hubs, all close to Israeli military posts, where people have to go and pick up food.
NGOs accuse the GHF of forcing hunger and weak people of hiking for hours, sometimes through active conflict areas to obtain assistance.
Save the Children said 10 of the 19 fatal incidents near food distribution sites were killed or injured.
GHF uses private U.S. security and logistics companies to bring supplies to Gaza, largely bypassing Israel's non-leadership system that claims to allow militants to transfer assistance. Hamas denied that it stole aid.
Last week, Israeli military advocates ordered an investigation into possible war crimes to accuse the Army of ordering Israeli soldiers to deliberately open fire on Palestinians who tried to arrive at the aid distribution site.
Harrez said officers and soldiers, who were not named, revealed that the commander “ordered the troops to shoot or disperse the crowd, even if it was obvious that they did not pose a threat.”
Israeli military admitted on Monday that the aid distribution center in the Gaza Strip was damaged, saying Palestinian civilians were damaged, saying Israeli forces were given new instructions after “learnings learned.”
