Latest news with #ChapinFay
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Gaza stampede: 20 killed at US-Israel backed aid centre
At least 20 people have reportedly died in a tragic crush at an aid distribution centre operated by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza humanitarian foundation (GHF). According to GFH reports, 19 individuals were crushed and one stabbed in what it's described as a "chaotic and dangerous surge" at the entrance of the aid facility. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The organisation claimed that panic was sparked by armed individuals linked to Hamas. The Government media office has firmly rejected the claim and accused the GHF of trying to cover up a crime scene. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported receiving 21 bodies, stating that most of the deaths were caused by suffocation due to tear gas exposure and injuries sustained in the crowd crush. In a video verified by the BBC, a man was seen crying, 'They were children. What was their fault, dying for aid?' He blamed poor crowd management and fencing at the site for the tragedy. Another man, Ahmed Abu Omra, claimed armed contractors guarding the narrow entry lanes fired pepper bombs, further fuelling the chaos. In its first-ever press briefing, GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay blamed the incident on armed Hamas operatives who deliberately triggered the chaos.' Fay also said a medic was stabbed while attempting to stop one of the alleged instigators, according to AP. UN: Rising death toll near aid zones On Tuesday, the UN reported that since late May, 875 people have been killed in Gaza while seeking aid — including 674 deaths that occurred near GHF distribution sites. The Israeli military admitted last week that past incidents had occurred and stated that efforts were underway to reduce tensions with the civilian population.
The Mainichi
7 hours ago
- Health
- The Mainichi
A crowd surge at an aid site in Gaza run by an Israeli-backed group kills 20 Palestinians
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) -- Twenty Palestinians were killed at a food distribution center run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, mostly from being trampled, the group said. They were the first deaths reported at one of the group's sites, though hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces on the roads leading to them, according to witnesses and health officials. Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 54 others, including 14 children, according to hospital officials. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting unrest at the food distribution center, causing the stampede. For the first time since its operations began in May, "a large number" of people in the crowd were armed with pistols, GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay told reporters. He said an American medic was stabbed and wounded. GHF said the Israeli military had warned it on Wednesday that Hamas had infiltrated the crowd, but did not provide evidence for any Hamas presence, aside from a photo of a pistol that it said one of its contractors had confiscated. As law and order have broken down after months of war, Gaza has seen the rise of criminal gangs and tribal groups that carry weapons and steal and resell aid. Witnesses said GHF guards threw stun grenades and used pepper spray on people pressing to get into the site before it opened, causing a panic in the narrow, fenced-in entrance. Since the group's operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. GHF's four sites are all in military-controlled zones, and the Israeli military has said its troops have only fired warning shots to control crowds. Gaza's more than 2 million Palestinians are living through a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, and the territory is teetering on the edge of famine, according to food security experts. Stun grenades and pepper spray caused chaos, witnesses say GHF said it believed that 19 of the dead died from trampling at its food distribution center between the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah and one was killed by a stabbing in the crowd. The Gaza Health Ministry said 17 people suffocated at the site and three others were shot. It was not clear if the shootings took place during the crush or earlier on the road to the center. Witnesses said Israeli troops fired toward the crowds as they headed to it. GHF said a contractor fired warning shots in the air in order to rescue a child from the stampede. Witnesses said that thousands of Palestinians arrived at the site early in the morning, and the American contractors guarding it did not open the gates. It was not clear if it was before the site's opening time or if it was not operating at all, since schedules often change. GHF said the gates were open. The crowd surged forward at the turnstiles in the fenced-in entranceway, said one survivor, Ahmed Abu Amra. "The Americans were calling out on the loudspeakers, 'Go back, go back.' But no one could turn around because it was so crowded," he said. "Everyone was on top of each other. We tried to pull out the people who were underneath, but we couldn't. The Americans were throwing stun grenades at us." Other witnesses said the contractors used pepper spray as well. The Health Ministry said tear gas was used, but GHF denied that. GHF said it believed Hamas elements in the crowd fomented the unrest. It said the American medic had tried to tackle a man with a pistol before being stabbed by another man. Distribution has often been chaotic Distribution at the GHF sites has often been chaotic. Boxes of food are left stacked on the ground inside the center and, once opened, crowds charge in to grab whatever they can, according to witnesses and videos released by GHF itself. In videos obtained recently by The Associated Press from an American contractor working with GHF, contractors are seen using tear gas and stun grenades to keep crowds back behind metal fences or to force them to disperse. Gunshots can also be heard. The United Nations human rights office said Tuesday that 875 Palestinians were killed while seeking food since May. Of those, 674 were killed while en route to GHF food sites. The rest were reportedly killed while waiting for aid trucks entering Gaza. Strikes kill dozens as Israel opens a new military corridor Israeli strikes killed 22 people in Gaza City, including 11 children and three women, and 19 others in Khan Younis. Strikes in central Gaza killed 13 people, including three children. The Israeli military said it has struck more than 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military tunnels and weapons storage facilities. Gaza's Health Ministry said Wednesday that hospitals have received a total of 94 bodies over the past 24 hours, with another 252 wounded. Israel blames Hamas for the civilian deaths because the group often operates in residential areas. Also on Wednesday, the Israeli military announced the opening of a new corridor -- the fourth -- that bisects Khan Younis, where Israeli troops have seized land in what they say is a pressure tactic against Hamas. In the past, these narrow strips of land have been a serious hurdle during ceasefire negotiations, as Israel has said it wants to maintain control over them. Indirect negotiations in Qatar between Israel and Hamas are at a standstill, after 21 months of war, which began with the militants' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. That day, militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other international organizations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.
India Today
10 hours ago
- Health
- India Today
20 killed in stampede at Gaza aid site run by Israeli-backed US group
20 Palestinians were killed at a food distribution center run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, mostly from being trampled, the group said. They were the first deaths reported at one of the group's sites, though hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces on the roads leading to them, according to witnesses and health strikes across Gaza killed at least 54 others, including 14 children, according to hospital Gaza Humanitarian Foundation accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting unrest at the food distribution center, causing the stampede. For the first time since its operations began in May, 'a large number' of people in the crowd were armed with pistols, GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay told reporters. He said an American medic was stabbed and wounded. GHF said the Israeli military had warned it on Wednesday that Hamas had infiltrated the crowd, but did not provide evidence for any Hamas presence, aside from a photo of a pistol that it said one of its contractors had confiscated. As law and order have broken down after months of war, Gaza has seen the rise of criminal gangs and tribal groups that carry weapons and steal and resell said GHF guards threw stun grenades and used pepper spray on people pressing to get into the site before it opened, causing a panic in the narrow, fenced-in the group's operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. GHF's four sites are all in military-controlled zones, and the Israeli military has said its troops have only fired warning shots to control more than 2 million Palestinians are living through a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, and the territory is teetering on the edge of famine, according to food security said it believed that 19 of the dead died from trampling at its food distribution center between the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah and one was killed by a stabbing in the Gaza Health Ministry said 17 people suffocated at the site and three others were shot. It was not clear if the shootings took place during the crush or earlier on the road to the center. Witnesses said Israeli troops fired toward the crowds as they headed to it. GHF said a contractor fired warning shots in the air in order to rescue a child from the said that thousands of Palestinians arrived at the site early in the morning, and the American contractors guarding it did not open the gates. It was not clear if it was before the site's opening time or if it was not operating at all, since schedules often change. GHF said the gates were open. The crowd surged forward at the turnstiles in the fenced-in entranceway, said one survivor, Ahmed Abu Americans were calling out on the loudspeakers, 'Go back, go back.' But no one could turn around because it was so crowded,' he said. 'Everyone was on top of each other. We tried to pull out the people who were underneath, but we couldn't. The Americans were throwing stun grenades at us.'Other witnesses said the contractors used pepper spray as well. The Health Ministry said tear gas was used, but GHF denied that. GHF said it believed Hamas elements in the crowd fomented the unrest. It said the American medic had tried to tackle a man with a pistol before being stabbed by another HAS OFTEN BEEN CHAOTICDistribution at the GHF sites has often been chaotic. Boxes of food are left stacked on the ground inside the center and, once opened, crowds charge in to grab whatever they can, according to witnesses and videos released by GHF videos obtained recently by The Associated Press from an American contractor working with GHF, contractors are seen using tear gas and stun grenades to keep crowds back behind metal fences or to force them to disperse. Gunshots can also be United Nations human rights office said Tuesday that 875 Palestinians were killed while seeking food since May. Of those, 674 were killed while en route to GHF food sites. The rest were reportedly killed while waiting for aid trucks entering strikes killed 22 people in Gaza City, including 11 children and three women, and 19 others in Khan Younis. Strikes in central Gaza killed 13 people, including three children. The Israeli military said it has struck more than 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military tunnels and weapons storage Health Ministry said Wednesday that hospitals have received a total of 94 bodies over the past 24 hours, with another 252 blames Hamas for the civilian deaths because the group often operates in residential areas.- EndsMust Watch
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What food is being distributed in Gaza? GHF releases full list
Each aid box distributed is designed to sustain a family of 5.5 individuals for approximately 3.5 days. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has provided details about the type of food it is distributing in Gaza, following questions from The Jerusalem Post regarding its ongoing operations and its application for US government funding. According to the organization, each aid box distributed is designed to sustain a family of 5.5 individuals for approximately 3.5 days. The contents of the boxes vary slightly depending on availability and cost, but typically include flour, sugar, rice, cooking oil, pasta, a protein such as canned tuna, and dried beans. Additional items such as tea, coffee, cookies, and chocolates are available. GHF has also begun distributing potatoes, which the organization said have been well received by recipients. The group stated that the food packages exceed the caloric minimums set by the international humanitarian community and are consistent with aid typically provided by other organizations. GHF said it has also distributed aid on behalf of other humanitarian groups. In a statement released on Tuesday, GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay said the organization has delivered more than 66 million meals over a month and highlighted what he described as the group's success in distributing food without interference from Hamas. "GHF has done what others could not: deliver free, nutritious, and secure emergency food aid directly to the people of Gaza without interference from Hamas," the statement read. "In just over a month, we've delivered more than 66 million meals. We're grateful to the Trump Administration for recognizing the impact of our work with a $30 million commitment to help expand our operations." The group also addressed questions surrounding a review by USAID of GHF's application for grant funding, stating that the process is routine and that the organization is cooperating fully. Fay noted that the organization's operational model is designed to prevent diversion, fraud, or misuse of aid. "Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources—which will eventually include American taxpayer funds—reach the people of Gaza, not Hamas," he said. GHF also alleged that some long-standing international aid groups have failed to prevent diversion of aid in Gaza, and claimed that such organizations view GHF as a threat. Fay said that such criticism only harms the civilian population. "The bottom line is GHF is delivering where others have not," the statement concluded.
Saudi Gazette
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
USAID review raised ‘critical concerns' over Gaza aid group days before $30 million US grant
WASHINGTON — An internal government assessment shows USAID officials raised 'critical concerns' last month about a key aid group's ability to protect Palestinians and to deliver them food – just days before the State Department announced $30 million in funding for the organization. A scathing 14-page document obtained by CNN outlines a litany of problems with a funding application submitted by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group established to provide aid following an 11-week Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The United Nations human rights office says that hundreds of Palestinians have since been killed around private aid sites, including those operated by GHF. The assessment flags a range of concerns, from an overall plan missing 'even basic details' to a proposal to potentially distribute powdered baby formula in an area that lacks clean water to prepare it. A USAID official came to a clear conclusion in the report: 'I do not concur with moving forward with GHF given operational and reputational risks and lack of oversight.' 'The application was abysmal... it was sorely lacking real content,' a source familiar with the application told CNN on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Trump administration officials have consistently downplayed and rejected criticisms about GHF. Israel has also disputed media reports, eyewitness and doctor accounts, and Palestinian officials blaming the Israeli military for killing aid-seekers near GHF sites.A State Department spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Tuesday that the funding for GHF will fulfill 'President Trump's commitment to feed the people of Gaza' and accused critics of engaging in 'bureaucratic turf wars.''The Department provided emergency support to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation after determining that it was the only viable way to get aid into Gaza without empowering Hamas,' the spokesperson said. 'GHF is a results-focused alternative to a broken aid system, delivering more than 66 million meals to the people of Gaza in just weeks.'A GHF spokesperson defended the organization's work in Gaza and described the USAID assessment as normal for a funding application.'As with any U.S. Government procurement process, questions and requests for clarification from USAID/State are routine,' GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay told CNN in a statement. 'We are addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure and will continue to do so as required.'The 14-page document outlining USAID's outstanding questions and concerns was not sent to GHF before the funding was approved, according to another source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity because they are not officially authorized to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the top political appointee for foreign assistance, Jeremy Lewin, pressed for the approval for U.S. funding to be fast-tracked, the two sources said. It is unclear whether top political leadership read the full 14-page document. One of the sources said USAID staff had voiced concerns internally about working with GHF, especially given the humanitarian principle of 'do no harm.'In an internal memo dated June 24 – four days after the date listed on the assessment – a top political appointee at the State Department, Kenneth Jackson, recommended that Lewin 'waive the various criteria given the humanitarian and political urgency of GHF's operations.' Both Lewin and Jackson were initially installed into government roles by the Elon Musk-backed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).The State Department announced the award two days later and sent GHF a document conveying requirements for the funds, including some related to concerns raised by USAID. Tranches of the $30 million award will be released when GHF completes key tasks – including many typically required before funding is approved, like registering in the government system, pre-vetting partners and providing evidence of external of last week, the funding had not yet been disbursed, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce previously unreported details in the assessment echo international criticism of GHF's ability to act as the primary aid distributor to thousands of Gazans living in desperate conditions and highlight how the Trump administration greenlit funding for the group despite career staffers' concerns.'Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,' said a joint statement last week from over 240 NGOs calling for an immediate end to GHF's has faced significant controversy since it was established. The group's head resigned before operations began in late May, citing concerns over the organization's adherence to humanitarian ongoing reports of deadly violence outside GHF's four Gaza aid sites, the group in early June submitted a page-and-a-half long request seeking emergency humanitarian funding, according to one of the sources. USAID officials asked GHF to submit more documentation to support the a more fulsome proposal sent by the group was still 'missing several required elements,' according to the USAID assessment, which included dozens of clarification questions and requests for more internal review found that GHF's application was missing at least nine elements typically required for an award to be approved.A three-page long risk planning document lacked detailed explanations on its plans to ensure Palestinians in need would receive aid, the USAID assessment found. The risk management plan 'does not provide sufficient information to ensure that aid will reach intended recipients,' it brief document meant to detail GHF's mission did not meet 'requirements for Safe and Accountable programming,' the review said.'GHF must explain how it will Do No Harm,' USAID said in the feedback form, asking the group to provide 'specific details' of plans to ensure safety, access, and also asked GHF to review its budget to ensure line items correctly added up, and noted 'inconsistent' timelines for the project across the to the proposal, GHF estimated that in the month of June it needed roughly $100 million in operating costs, with the group seeking $30 million of that total from the State proposal also noted a planned expansion from four to eight aid distribution sites across Gaza – but did not include details on where the sites would be located.'Is GHF able to provide a map indicating where the distribution points will be?' USAID asked in the feedback form. It also questioned how the $30 million in funding would be used for the expansion, noting the budget 'does not provide sufficient detail' to assess whether GHF would have adequate staffing for eight GHF proposed that it could distribute infant formula, the assessment noted that without following USAID guidelines, formula 'is dangerous and can increase infant morbidity and mortality due to contamination from unsafe water and poor preparation practices.''Powder milk formula must be prepared with sterilized/boiled water, which is difficult in the current context,' the form also asked the organization to give details on how it was working to ensure that there were facilities and fuel for people to prepare the food it normal procedures, the concerns outlined in the assessment would have been relayed to GHF before the funding was approved, the sources told CNN, and the group would have time to reply before a decision was did not happen. On June 26, the State Department publicly announced the approval of the $30 million in funding and encouraged other countries to contribute.A former USAID official who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation said that there is precedent for a quick approval process, but that is typically reserved for trusted partners. Under normal procedural circumstances, GHF would likely not have been funded, the official an internal State Department memo on June 30, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee touted the approved award and praised GHF's operations inside Gaza.'After monitoring the success of GHF, the Department of State announced a $30 million grant to GHF on June 26 that will enable GHF to continue its critical operations and expand to more distribution sites,' Huckabee memo focused on GHF's 'success' in undermining Hamas, alleging the militant group is stealing aid in Gaza and profiting from sales, though Israel hasn't presented any evidence publicly to back up the administration officials defended GHF against growing criticism from human rights groups amid mounting death tolls around the aid sites as starving Palestinians clamor for assistance. Officials have blamed Hamas for the deadly violence and suggested publicly and privately that GHF is the only effective way to get aid into the besieged enclave.'GHF is a decisive break from a status quo that has enabled corruption and complicity in enabling the continued rule of terrorists,' a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to week, an Associated Press report found American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza used live ammunition and stun grenades as Palestinians attempted to access internal State Department memo outlining coverage of GHF, including negative headlines, was recalled and replaced with a memo only containing positive coverage, another source told CNN.A State Department official last week suggested the US could provide further funding to GHF, saying that if the organization continues to operate 'safely and securely and consistent with sort of the principles that we've laid out for them, then we're happy to invest more in them.' — CNN
