International coalition of 100 NGOs accuses Israel of utilizing food scarcity as a means of weaponry in Gaza
In Jerusalem, over a hundred NGOs, including Caritas Internationalis, have launched an appeal-protest against Israel's near-total blockade on humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza. The blockade has caused widespread malnutrition and suffering among Gaza’s population, with the total number of victims of malnutrition reaching 239, including over a hundred children, and four more deaths attributed to starvation.
The Gaza Strip's famine is worsening, and Israeli authorities have failed to authorize aid shipments despite repeated requests. The distribution of aid has been entrusted to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), but NGOs refuse to cooperate with it, accusing it of serving Israeli military interests.
The GHF, established in early 2025 with support from the Israeli and U.S. governments, was created to bypass the UN’s aid network and deliver humanitarian aid through a highly controlled and militarized mechanism. Instead of alleviating suffering, the GHF’s operation is criticized as a tool of control and coercion, facilitating forced displacement and contributing to the depopulation of Gaza areas.
The GHF operates only four distribution sites (down from the UN’s 400+ points before) mostly near Gaza’s southern border, pushing Palestinians toward displacement. The situation at these sites has been chaotic and deadly, with reports of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and private U.S. contractors firing upon aid seekers, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. Former GHF staff have highlighted a dehumanizing culture and lack of adequate oversight of contractors.
The NGOs are calling for an end to the use of "humanitarian aid as a weapon" in Gaza. Jolien Veldwijk, director of the NGO Care in Palestinian territories, has declared that registration-related restrictions are leaving civilians without food, medicine, and protection they urgently need. The settlement construction, as explained by Smotrich, is intended to "bury the idea of a Palestinian state."
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has approved plans for the construction of a settlement of over 3,400 housing units for settlers in the West Bank, aiming to divide the West Bank, separating East Jerusalem. This settlement, according to Veldwijk, further complicates the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
UN experts have called for the immediate dismantling of the GHF, accountability for its executives, and restoration of credible humanitarian assistance through the UN system. The NGOs' appeal-protest in Jerusalem marks a significant escalation in international condemnation against Israel's policies in Gaza and the West Bank.
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