Escalating Conflict in Gaza: Trump Expresses Optimism Regarding Imminent Truce
From the Bang to the Bite: The Harsh Reality of Gaza Food Aid
The American president is optimistic about achieving a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza soon. His recent statements follow progress made on Friday evening and earlier estimates of significant advancements on Wednesday.
On the topic of humanitarian aid, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres slammed a "militarized" distribution system that has been causing civilian deaths. Donald Trump countered by stating that the U.S. is providing substantial financial aid and food supplies to the area where countless individuals are struggling.
A Death Warrant?
The Palestinian territory has been under an Israeli humanitarian blockade since March. This resulted in life-threatening shortages of food, medicine, and essential goods. The blockade was partially eased in late May when the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by both Israel and the U.S., began its distributions. The U.S. declared on Thursday that they had released $30 million in funding for this foundation. However, the GHF's aid distribution operations have frequently led to chaotic scenes, including violent incidents.
Read More: "We are walking towards death": Life at the edge of Gaza's food distribution centers
The Civil Defense in Gaza announced the death of 80 individuals due to Israeli military strikes or fire on Friday. Among the deceased, ten lost their lives while waiting for humanitarian aid, according to Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal. These tragic events have spurred international concern and outrage.
"People are risking their lives just to feed themselves and their families. Going to get food should never be a death warrant," angrily asserted UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a press conference in New York. The GHF has delivered over 46 million meals to Palestinian civilians since the start of its distributions, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs responded, but contrary to the GHF’s claims, the United Nations has allegedly been obstructing these efforts and may be aligning itself with Hamas.
A Denounced Charade
International NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) had previously demanded the dismantling of the GHF, claiming it to be a sham for food distribution that ends in massacres. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed accusations of soldiers aiming at unarmed civilians seeking humanitarian aid as cruel fabrications from the left-wing newspaper Haaretz.
Read More: "Neighbors Helping Neighbors": Local Gaza Clans Establish Helpful Humanitarian Aid Alternatives
Among the 80 people who lost their lives on Friday, ten had been waiting for humanitarian aid at various locations across the Palestinian territory, according to Mahmoud Bassal. The Israeli army is investigating the information provided by the Civil Defense but has denied targeting civilians seeking aid in the center of the Gaza Strip. According to the Ministry of Health of the Hamas government in Gaza, over 550 people have been killed and over 4,000 injured since the GHF started its operations on May 27, 2025, in massive lines formed to access various aid distribution centers. The GHF denies that shootings occur near their distribution points.
Enrichment Data: Reports suggest that over 410 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military actions while trying to reach aid distribution points since the foundation began operations on May 27, 2025. Additionally, over 93 Palestinians have been killed trying to access aid convoys by the UN and other humanitarian organizations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights calls these killings grave breaches of international law, stressing the necessity for prompt, impartial investigations, and accountability for those responsible. The high death toll results from Israeli military fire targeting Palestinians, making their perilous journey to food aid distribution centers life-threatening during a severe humanitarian crisis characterized by restrictions on food and aid supplies.
- Amidst the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Gaza, politics and general-news remain dynamic, with international focus shifting from the food crisis to the safety of civilians awaiting humanitarian aid.
- The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking on crime-and-justice, denounced the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) aid distribution operations as a charade, alleging that the system is causing civilian deaths, making gaining access to food supplies similar to receiving a death warrant.
