Latest news with #GHF-operated


Days of Palestine
a day ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Palestinian Tribal Coalition Denounces US-Israeli GHF After Requesting Name Lists
DayofPal– The Palestinian National Gathering of Tribes and Clans has issued a stern warning to local leaders and mukhtars across Gaza, urging them not to cooperate with the US-Israeli Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The coalition's warning comes after the organization reportedly requested lists of names from several mukhtars, claiming it was part of efforts to coordinate aid distribution. In a strongly worded public statement, the tribal coalition accused GHF of functioning as a 'military and security proxy for the Israeli occupation army,' asserting that the group's activities serve Israeli military interests rather than humanitarian needs. 'We will not eat from the hand that helped kill us,' the statement read, squarely blaming the organization for the deaths of more than 800 Palestinians, over 5,252 injuries, and 42 missing persons near GHF-operated 'aid points.' These sites, the statement noted, have come to be referred to by many Gazans as 'death traps.' The coalition stressed that GHF 'cannot be trusted and should be treated as a hostile actor,' warning that any local leader cooperating with the organization would face 'national, legal, and tribal accountability.' In a significant escalation, the group declared that any mukhtar who engages with GHF would have their official seal revoked by governing authorities. The warning aligns with recent alerts from the Gaza Government Media Office, which confirmed a mounting death toll at GHF distribution sites and criticized the organization's role in exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis. Rejecting the notion of GHF as a neutral aid provider, the tribal coalition maintained that the foundation's operations are deeply entangled with Israeli strategic goals. Far from alleviating suffering, they argue, the organization's presence in Gaza contributes to worsening conditions amid a tightening Israeli blockade and the looming threat of famine. 'We will not be a tool against our own people,' the tribes declared. 'The Palestinian people will not accept aid tainted with blood or political agendas.' The growing backlash against GHF highlights the increasing mistrust surrounding international aid efforts in Gaza, as local leaders and civil society actors demand accountability and transparency in humanitarian interventions. Shortlink for this post:


Middle East Eye
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation may be 'complicit in war crimes', right groups say
A group of 15 human rights and legal organisations has called for the suspension of aid operations by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), warning that the initiative, backed by Israel and the United States, may be complicit in international crimes. The GHF, a recently launched and controversial aid distribution mechanism, commenced operations in Gaza on 27 May, following nearly three months of an Israeli blockade on the entry of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip. The organisations criticised the GHF for a lack of 'transparency, impartiality, and accountability', citing concerns over its opaque structure and the absence of publicly available operational plans. According to the letter, the new relief delivery method, which has sought to wrest distribution away from major aid groups led by the United Nations, is a "radical and dangerous shift away from established international humanitarian relief operations". It adds that the "privatized, militarized aid distribution" is one that is "dehumanizing, repeatedly deadly and contributes to the forced displacement of the very population it purports to help," referencing the ongoing killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces near GHF aid points. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The 15 groups urged all organisations and individuals working or assisting GHF, including the private military contractors at the distribution hubs such as Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions, to end their operations. "Failure to do so may expose these organizations and their officers, representatives, and agents to further risk of criminal and civil liability for aiding and abetting or otherwise being complicit in crimes under international law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in violation of international law, US law and other relevant national laws under the principle of universal jurisdiction," the letter warned. "GHF's militarized model, coupled with its close collaboration with Israeli authorities, undermines the core humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence." The organisations also note that forcing starving Palestinians to walk long distances through militarised areas to obtain aid "creates an immediate risk of forced displacement that may violate the prohibition on forcible displacement of civilians". 'Death traps' Established in February, GHF has come under growing criticism from rights groups and activists, including the United Nations. The scheme has been accused of dehumanising Palestinians and providing insufficient food, in addition to imperilling their life, as Israeli forces routinely open fire on the starving crowds. 'Execution site': Palestinians face death collecting food at US-Israeli Gaza aid points Read More » Described as "death traps", the few GHF-operated aid distribution points have become places where Palestinians expect bloodshed instead of respite from the war. A recent press release by the non-proft Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor stated that the US-backed organisation was "directly responsible for the escalating Israeli crimes against starved Palestinian civilians". "The foundation's operational model involves luring civilians to specific locations coordinated with the Israeli army, where they are subjected to killing, injury, and cruel and degrading treatment. "These points have effectively become death traps used as tools in Israel's ongoing genocide against the Palestinian population for over 20 months." According to health sources in Gaza, at least 516 people have been killed near the GHF-run hubs, with more than 3,799 others wounded and 39 missing since its operations began a month ago.


Days of Palestine
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
UN labels US-Israel-backed Gaza aid program a 'failure'
DaysofPal – A harsh evaluation of the recently established US- and Israel-backed aid program, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), was delivered by the UN, which referred to it as a humanitarian 'failure' and charged it with escalating the suffering in the besieged Gaza Strip. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stated in a press briefing in Geneva on Friday: 'GHF, I think it's fair to say, has been, from a principled humanitarian standpoint, a failure. They are not doing what a humanitarian operation should do, which is providing aid to people safely and securely.' The GHF, a private organization launched on May 26 after Israel had fully sealed off Gaza's aid corridors for more than two months, claims to have distributed over 18 million meals. However, the UN and major international aid organizations have refused to cooperate with the initiative, citing its lack of transparency, politicization of aid, and close alignment with Israeli military objectives. Critics argue that the GHF operates outside the international humanitarian framework and has effectively militarized aid distribution. UN agencies accuse it of failing to ensure the safe delivery of life-saving supplies and contributing to further chaos by enabling Israeli control over humanitarian access. Humanitarian organizations have reported dozens of civilian casualties near GHF-operated aid distribution points, largely attributed to Israeli forces opening fire on crowds. According to the Palestinian Civil Defense, around 30 Palestinians were killed in early June while attempting to collect aid. The Israeli military claimed it had only fired warning shots, a claim widely contradicted by eyewitnesses. Laerke emphasized the UN's willingness to resume broad-scale humanitarian operations in Gaza if Israel allows the safe and consistent entry of sufficient aid: 'We are ready to operate at scale again, but it requires real, regular, safe, and principled access.' Surge in civilian deaths during aid distribution Since the GHF began its work, aid distributions have become flashpoints for violence, resulting in repeated massacres of Palestinians. On Friday alone, at least 20 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes during aid collection efforts, including at the Nablus roundabout and near the American School in northern Gaza. Another direct strike killed nine people near Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Hospitals across the Strip documented at least 27 deaths on Saturday, including 11 people shot while waiting for food. A new massacre was reported near an aid distribution site in the Wadi Gaza area. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, as of Thursday, 245 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,152 wounded near GHF-linked distribution points. These figures are part of a broader toll from Israel's ongoing military campaign. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, has also denounced the GHF mechanism, labeling it a 'degrading' and 'lethal' aid system. The UN had rejected involvement with the GHF from its inception, asserting that it lacks neutrality and integrity. The GHF has drawn criticism not only for failing to meet humanitarian standards but also for serving what many observers see as a political and military agenda: controlling food access as a method of displacement and collective punishment. Israel, with full backing from the United States, stands accused of committing acts that many international bodies and human rights organizations characterize as genocide, including deliberate starvation, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and forced displacement. The war on Gaza has left over 182,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, with more than 11,000 reported missing, most of them women and children. The enclave is already experiencing a devastating famine that is killing a lot of people, especially babies. Entire neighborhoods have been leveled, and hundreds of thousands remain homeless. Shortlink for this post:
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Controversial aid foundation delays distribution in Gaza
The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has announced it will delay providing aid in the Gaza Strip following a chaotic launch of its operation. Work was proceeding to ensure secure distribution of aid in the future, the GHF said in a statement issued to residents in the region. It attributed the delay to the disorder that erupted on Tuesday and the failure of some people to obey rules. GHF said that a new statement would be issued during the course of Wednesday announcing distribution times. In addition, two more distribution centres would go into operation, the organization said. Following an earlier announcement, many Gazans headed to the first GHF-operated distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah on Tuesday in the hope of receiving food parcels, but chaos broke out during the relief operation. According to the UN's Human Rights Office in Geneva, one person was killed and 47 were injured in the turmoil.