More than 130 charities and other NGOs are calling for the controversial Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to be shut down. Over 500 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid since the GHF started operating in late May, following Israel's three-month blockade of Gaza, the organisations said. Almost 4,000 have been injured. The organisations, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty, say Israeli forces and armed groups "routinely" open fire on Palestinians seeking aid. Israel denies its soldiers deliberately shoot at aid recipients, and has defended the GHF system, saying it provides direct assistance to people who need it, bypassing Hamas interference. Tuesday's joint statement from some of the world's biggest charities says the foundation is violating all norms of humanitarian work, including by forcing two million people into overcrowded and militarized zones where they face daily gunfire. Since the GHF started operating in Gaza, there have been almost daily reports of Israeli forces killing people seeking aid at these sites, from medics, eyewitnesses and the Hamas-run health ministry. The GHF aid distribution system replaced 400 aid distribution points that were operating during the temporary Israel-Hamas ceasefirewith just four military-controlled distribution sites, three in the far south-west of Gaza and one in 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 statement says. "Orphaned children and caregivers are among the dead, with children harmed in over half of the attacks on civilians at these sites." The GHF aid system has been condemned by UN agencies. On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it "inherently unsafe". From the start the UN condemned the plan, saying it would "militarise" aid, bypass the existing distribution network and force Gazans to make long journeys through dangerous territory to get food. The Israeli military hassaid it is examining reports of civilians being "harmed"while approaching GHF aid distribution centres. According to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Friday, unnamed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers said they were ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians near aid distribution sites to drive them away or disperse them. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly rejected the report, calling the allegations "malicious falsehoods". The Israeli military also denied allegations of deliberately firing at Palestinians waiting to collect humanitarian aid. In a statement on Monday, the IDF said it was reorganising access to the sites and this would include new "fencing" and signposting, including directional and warning signs in order to improve the operational response. But the 130-plus aid organisations said GHF "is not a humanitarian response" for the Gazans. "Amidst severe hunger and famine-like conditions, many families tell us they are now too weak to compete for food rations," the groups said.
US-Israeli backed Gaza aid group must be shut down, say 130 charities
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"Charities Demand Closure of Israeli and US-Backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Amid Safety Concerns"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Over 130 charities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including prominent groups such as Oxfam and Save the Children, have called for the closure of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has been operating under the support of Israeli and US authorities. This call to action follows alarming statistics indicating that over 500 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 4,000 injured while attempting to access aid since the GHF commenced operations in late May. The NGOs accuse Israeli forces and armed groups of routinely opening fire on Palestinians seeking assistance, although Israel denies any intentional targeting of aid recipients. The GHF has been criticized for violating humanitarian norms by confining approximately two million people into overcrowded and militarized zones, where they face the constant threat of gunfire. Reports from medics and the Hamas-run health ministry suggest that fatalities among aid seekers have become a daily occurrence since the GHF's establishment, raising serious concerns about the safety and efficacy of the aid distribution process in Gaza.
The GHF has replaced a network of 400 aid distribution points with only four military-controlled sites, significantly limiting access to essential supplies. Critics emphasize that this shift has forced Gazans into a perilous situation where they must choose between starvation and the risk of being shot while trying to secure food for their families. The United Nations has also condemned the GHF's operations, labeling them as inherently unsafe and criticizing the militarization of humanitarian aid. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has echoed these concerns, stating that the GHF's approach compromises the safety of civilians. Additionally, reports from Israeli sources have suggested that soldiers may have been instructed to disperse unarmed civilians near these aid sites, although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed such claims as falsehoods. The Israeli military has announced plans to improve access to aid sites through new fencing and signage, yet the coalition of NGOs maintains that the GHF does not represent a genuine humanitarian response to the dire conditions faced by Gazans amidst severe hunger and famine-like circumstances.
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