An aid initiative in Gaza backed by the United States and Israel is facing harsh criticism from international organizations. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that it is “killing people,” and medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) called it “slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid.” A UN official has also labeled the operation a “death trap.”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), operated by U.S. security contractors and approved by the Israeli government, has been accused of endangering Palestinian lives by forcing them to risk death for basic necessities. Reports have emerged of Israeli forces firing on crowds seeking aid, though Israel maintains that its military never targets civilians.
According to MSF, more than 500 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip while trying to obtain food in recent weeks. Traditionally, the UN and its partners distribute aid at the community level in Gaza. However, the GHF announced a month ago that it would use only four distribution points for the entire Strip—all located in militarized zones.
Guterres stated on Friday that the GHF operation in Gaza is “inherently unsafe.” He emphasized, “Any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarized zones is inherently unsafe. It is killing people. People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence.”
UN agencies have refused to work with the GHF, questioning its neutrality and criticizing its distribution model for militarizing aid and forcing displacement. Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), condemned the GHF as a “death trap,” adding, “The newly created so-called mechanism is an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people.”
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Israeli military operations have resulted in over 56,000 deaths and 133,000 injuries since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza health authorities. The healthcare system is under severe strain, with critical shortages of medical resources. The UNRWA reports that nearly half of essential medical supplies are now out of stock.
Amjad al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network, urged the international community to prioritize a ceasefire and reopen border crossings to deliver food, medicine, and fuel. “The humanitarian response is falling short of needs. We are calling for urgent facilitation of aid access and international protection for civilians, especially women and children,” he said.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded to Guterres’s remarks by reiterating that its military does not target civilians and accused the UN of aligning itself with Hamas. A GHF spokesperson denied any deaths at or near its aid distribution sites and accused the UN of disseminating disinformation about its operations.
The United Nations continues to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing that “hunger does not wait. Diseases do not wait. And children do not understand politics.”
