Mass casualties occur in Gaza as Israel considers intensifying military operations in pursuit of humanitarian assistance
Controversy Surrounds Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), established in May 2025 with backing from the Israeli and U.S. governments, has come under intense scrutiny and criticism for its role in distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
According to reports from the United Nations human rights office, over 1,400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, with most deaths occurring near GHF sites and along UN convoy routes. The UN experts and over 170 NGOs have demanded the immediate dismantling of the GHF, arguing it breaches principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence mandated by international humanitarian law.
The controversy surrounding the GHF deepened following the deaths of six people near a GHF site in central Gaza. The deaths occurred at UN convoys and sites run by the GHF, with at least 28 deaths also reported in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has condemned the GHF aid distribution points as dangerous sites where Palestinians, including children, have been killed or injured while trying to access food. MSF calls for the dismantling of the GHF, restoration of UN-coordinated aid delivery, suspension of U.S. financial and political support for the GHF, and for Israel to end its siege to allow safe humanitarian access.
In the U.S. political sphere, Senator Jeanne Shaheen has expressed grave concern over the U.S. State Department’s $30 million funding for the GHF, which bypassed normal vetting and lacked congressional consultation. She notes that since U.S. support began, hundreds of starving Palestinians have been killed or injured at GHF sites, calling for a return to established humanitarian channels that respect neutrality and protect lives without forced displacement.
The Israeli military has claimed that its forces only target militants, but civilian deaths are blamed on Hamas due to militants being entrenched in heavily populated areas. However, the GHF states that its armed contractors have only used pepper spray and fired into the air to prevent deadly crowding at its sites.
In response to calls for disbandment, the GHF did not respond to a request for comment. The Israeli military has stated that security forces went to the scene to disperse gatherings and accompanied the trucks to their destination after the attack by Israeli settlers. Jordan also reported that Israeli settlers blocked roads and hurled stones at a convoy of aid trucks bound for Gaza, damaging the vehicles.
The situation in Gaza remains volatile, with hospitals recording four more malnutrition-related deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 193 people, including 96 children, since the war began in October 2023. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely and calls for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
- Reports of deaths and injuries have been reported near GHF sites and along UN convoy routes in the Gaza Strip, leading to demands for the immediate dismantling of the foundation by the UN experts and over 170 NGOs.
- In the realm of politics, deaths and injuries at GHF sites have been a point of contention, with Senator Jeanne Shaheen expressing concern over U.S. funding for the foundation, which bypassed proper vetting.
- Accidents involving Israeli settlers blocking roads and hurling stones at aid trucks bound for Gaza have been noted, causing damage to the vehicles.
- As the situation in Gaza remains volatile, hospitals are recording an increase in malnutrition-related deaths, with 193 individuals, including 96 children, having died since the war began.
- Amidst the controversy, crime-and-justice issues persist in the region, with the deaths and injuries at GHF sites adding to the general-news and war-and-conflicts surrounding the Gaza Strip.
