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Israel kills dozens at US-backed Gaza aid sites, triggering global outrage
Palestinians in Gaza entered June under heavy fire as Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) opened fire on starving civilians gathered at aid distribution centers operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). At least 40 Palestinians were killed in Rafah, with additional casualties reported in central Gaza.
The GHF, launched just one week earlier, was created to deliver food, water, and medical supplies directly to Gaza’s besieged population. Unlike United Nations agencies that operate under strict neutrality, the GHF functions through private contractors and American organizations under Israeli oversight. This operational model has drawn immediate scrutiny.
All four GHF distribution points — three in Tel al-Sultan and one in central Gaza — were struck by Israeli attacks within the foundation's first week. These repeated assaults have led to widespread allegations that Israel is using food aid as bait, drawing desperate civilians into exposed areas before targeting them with lethal force.
Afeef Nessouli, a volunteer with the medical aid group Gila International, told Al Jazeera that GHF has consistently failed to provide effective relief. “The GHF has not been successful to this day and has even seemed to target Palestinians when they are extremely hungry as they try to get aid,” he said.
GHF’s collapse began before its operations officially started. On May 25, just hours before distribution was to commence, the foundation’s head, Jake Wood, resigned. A US military veteran with experience in humanitarian missions, Wood had promoted the GHF as a “pragmatic” alternative to traditional channels. Yet in his resignation, he cited his inability to uphold the core humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence, and impartiality under the current framework.
“The plan cannot be implemented without abandoning those principles,” Wood stated.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), which remains the primary organization assisting Palestinian refugees, reported that only 900 trucks entered Gaza over the past two weeks — roughly 10% of the population’s daily needs.
“The aid that’s being sent now makes a mockery of the mass tragedy unfolding under our watch,” said Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. He urged Israel to grant UN agencies unimpeded access to fulfill their humanitarian mandate and safeguard Palestinian dignity.
UNRWA, established in 1949, has long supported the right of return and other key rights of Palestinian refugees. In 2024, several Western governments suspended funding to the agency after Israel accused some UNRWA staff of links to the October 7 attacks — claims that remain unverified.
Since October 2023, more than 300 UNRWA staff have been killed. Many were targeted while serving their communities. Others died alongside family members. These deaths are part of a broader Israeli campaign that has also struck journalists, medics, and humanitarian workers.
As hunger deepens and the death toll rises, the credibility of US- and Israel-backed aid models faces growing condemnation. Civilian bodies at food sites send a stark message: Gaza’s population remains both starved and under fire.