'Shameful and has to stop': French Foreign Minister condemns US, Israel-backed Gazan aid body as Trump envoy meets Benjamin Netanyahu
International outcry over the mass starvation in Gaza has grown in recent weeks, with European leaders joining United Nations and international aid groups in calling for a greater supply of food and water into the embattled region.
Even US President Donald Trump, who has largely sided with Israeli narratives about conditions in the strip, told press in Scotland earlier this week there was "real starvation" in Gaza and suggested his administration would step up relief efforts.
However, speaking to media on Thursday, local time, Mr Barrot called out the US' most likely method of providing aid, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation jointly founded with Israel, claiming it had resulted in the death of civilians.
"I want to call for the cessation of the activities of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the militarised distribution of humanitarian aid that has generated a bloodbath in distribution lines in Gaza, which is a scandal, which is shameful, and has to stop," he said.
The GHF, which distributes aid with support from the Israel Defence Force and armed private security contractors, has come under scrutiny after widespread reports of chaos in distribution lines and the killings of Gazans clamouring for food.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry claimed on Thursday, local time, 111 people had been killed and 820 injured while queuing for aid in the past 24 hours.
While the organisation does not differentiate between civilian and militant casualties, multiple verified reports of soldiers firing at those seeking aid have still prompted outcry from world leaders and humanitarian groups.
Mr Witkoff is expected to visit and aid distribution site as part of his visit to Israel.
Publicly, Israel has attempted to dismiss criticism of aid distribution within Gaza, with Mr Netanyahu even going as far as claiming there was no starvation among the millions living in the strip.
President Trump also remains supportive of Israel's aim of completely eliminating Hamas from the region, posting: "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!" to his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
Privately, however, Israel may face pressure from Mr Witkoff to make progress in ceasefire negotiations, which have largely stalled in recent months.
Recent declarations from France, the United Kingdom and Canada they would acknowledge a Palestinian state should talks continue to falter could complicate US-led proposals for peace, with critics of the move arguing recognition would also embolden Hamas.
However, a recent decision from the US could also complicate ceasefire efforts, with the State Department on Thursday moving to impose sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The Palestinian Authority exercises limited control over the Israel-occupied West Bank and is generally regarded as the strongest contender to form government in a fully-realised Palestinian state.
Despite this, US officials have been critical of the body, arguing it has done little to combat Hamas and prevent Iran from exerting influence over Gaza.
"It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace," the State Department said.
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Police warn motorists ahead of Harbour Bridge rally
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Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge after a court authorised a rally, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to monitor the event. Thousands of protesters are expected at the demonstration to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza. NSW Police on Saturday urged all protesters to act peacefully and respectfully, warning the rally would be watched closely. Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a police application to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds. Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster. Justice Rigg in her judgment said arguments the rally would cause disruption on the bridge were not sufficient to bar the protest. 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"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action." Mr Mckenna said his concerns about public safety had not changed and he urged people to avoid the city as there would be disruptions. "We will call upon these organisers to really speak to the people coming in to this protest to ensure they do listen to us, that they work with us so we can do our very, very best to make sure people are kept safe," he said. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government". "The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. 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Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge after a court authorised a rally, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to monitor the event. Thousands of protesters are expected at the demonstration to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza. NSW Police on Saturday urged all protesters to act peacefully and respectfully, warning the rally would be watched closely. Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a police application to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds. Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster. Justice Rigg in her judgment said arguments the rally would cause disruption on the bridge were not sufficient to bar the protest. "It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said. She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions. The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections from offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians. Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter Mckenna said. "We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route, and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday. "Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action." Mr Mckenna said his concerns about public safety had not changed and he urged people to avoid the city as there would be disruptions. "We will call upon these organisers to really speak to the people coming in to this protest to ensure they do listen to us, that they work with us so we can do our very, very best to make sure people are kept safe," he said. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government". "The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge. Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found. Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages. Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge after a court authorised a rally, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to monitor the event. Thousands of protesters are expected at the demonstration to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza. NSW Police on Saturday urged all protesters to act peacefully and respectfully, warning the rally would be watched closely. Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a police application to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds. Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster. Justice Rigg in her judgment said arguments the rally would cause disruption on the bridge were not sufficient to bar the protest. "It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said. She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions. The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections from offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians. Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter Mckenna said. "We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route, and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday. "Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action." Mr Mckenna said his concerns about public safety had not changed and he urged people to avoid the city as there would be disruptions. "We will call upon these organisers to really speak to the people coming in to this protest to ensure they do listen to us, that they work with us so we can do our very, very best to make sure people are kept safe," he said. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government". "The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. 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The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident in which soldiers fired warning shots at what it described as a "gathering of suspects" approaching its troops, hundreds of metres from the aid site. The UN says more than 1000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN Israel blames Hamas and the UN for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. Hamas on Friday released a video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David in one of its tunnels appearing skeletally thin. Its allied Islamic Jihad militant group released a video on Thursday of hostage Rom Braslavski, crying and pleading for his release. Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. Gaza medics say dozens of people have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the UN and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The UN says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Israel began allowing food air drops this week, but UN agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks. On Friday, the Israeli military said that 126 food packages were airdropped by six countries, including for the first time France, Spain, and Germany. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy has visited a US-backed aid operation in Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Steve Witkoff on Friday visited a site run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas. Humanitarian organisations and many foreign governments have been strongly critical of the GHF, which began operations in late May. A global hunger monitor warned this week that famine is unfolding in Gaza. Hours after Witkoff's visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group's sites in the city on Gaza's southern edge. Reuters could not immediately verify whether it was the same location. The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident in which soldiers fired warning shots at what it described as a "gathering of suspects" approaching its troops, hundreds of metres from the aid site. The UN says more than 1000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN Israel blames Hamas and the UN for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. Hamas on Friday released a video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David in one of its tunnels appearing skeletally thin. Its allied Islamic Jihad militant group released a video on Thursday of hostage Rom Braslavski, crying and pleading for his release. Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. Gaza medics say dozens of people have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the UN and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The UN says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Israel began allowing food air drops this week, but UN agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks. On Friday, the Israeli military said that 126 food packages were airdropped by six countries, including for the first time France, Spain, and Germany. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy has visited a US-backed aid operation in Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Steve Witkoff on Friday visited a site run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas. Humanitarian organisations and many foreign governments have been strongly critical of the GHF, which began operations in late May. A global hunger monitor warned this week that famine is unfolding in Gaza. Hours after Witkoff's visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group's sites in the city on Gaza's southern edge. Reuters could not immediately verify whether it was the same location. The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident in which soldiers fired warning shots at what it described as a "gathering of suspects" approaching its troops, hundreds of metres from the aid site. The UN says more than 1000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN Israel blames Hamas and the UN for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. Hamas on Friday released a video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David in one of its tunnels appearing skeletally thin. Its allied Islamic Jihad militant group released a video on Thursday of hostage Rom Braslavski, crying and pleading for his release. Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. Gaza medics say dozens of people have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the UN and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The UN says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Israel began allowing food air drops this week, but UN agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks. On Friday, the Israeli military said that 126 food packages were airdropped by six countries, including for the first time France, Spain, and Germany. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy has visited a US-backed aid operation in Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Steve Witkoff on Friday visited a site run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas. Humanitarian organisations and many foreign governments have been strongly critical of the GHF, which began operations in late May. A global hunger monitor warned this week that famine is unfolding in Gaza. Hours after Witkoff's visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group's sites in the city on Gaza's southern edge. Reuters could not immediately verify whether it was the same location. The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident in which soldiers fired warning shots at what it described as a "gathering of suspects" approaching its troops, hundreds of metres from the aid site. The UN says more than 1000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN Israel blames Hamas and the UN for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. Hamas on Friday released a video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David in one of its tunnels appearing skeletally thin. Its allied Islamic Jihad militant group released a video on Thursday of hostage Rom Braslavski, crying and pleading for his release. Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. Gaza medics say dozens of people have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the UN and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The UN says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Israel began allowing food air drops this week, but UN agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks. On Friday, the Israeli military said that 126 food packages were airdropped by six countries, including for the first time France, Spain, and Germany. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
