Trump authorizes inspection of Gaza aid supplies: Witkoff tours American distribution center
In the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, a controversial aid distribution mechanism, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has come under scrutiny. Established in February 2025 with backing from the U.S. and Israel, the GHF aims to deliver over one million meals a day, as praised by U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee. However, recent reports and eyewitness accounts suggest that the GHF's operations may be causing more harm than good.
According to the United Nations human rights office (OHCHR), nearly 900 Gazans have been killed in recent weeks while trying to obtain food, with a large majority (674 deaths) occurring in proximity to GHF aid sites [1]. The latest incident involved the Israeli military shelling a GHF site in Rafah, killing two and injuring nine people [1].
Reports detail that Palestinians seeking aid at these GHF distribution points have been fired upon by tanks, drones, helicopters, and ground soldiers, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands injured [2]. The UN Secretary-General has characterized this US-backed Israeli aid distribution model as inherently unsafe and killing people [2]. Over 240 NGOs have called for the cessation of the GHF distribution scheme, urging a return to UN-led aid systems and an end to the Israeli blockade that restricts humanitarian supplies [2].
Human Rights Watch explicitly labels the killings at GHF sites as war crimes, linking these attacks to the use of starvation as a weapon of war by Israel, which amounts to crimes against humanity and possibly genocide [3]. They call on Israel to stop lethal force against civilians at aid sites, lift restrictions on aid entry, and suspend the militarized distribution scheme involving GHF [3].
Critics also accuse the GHF of having a massive military presence and facing international criticism, such as from the United Nations. The GHF has reportedly employed several private security firms, including former U.S. security personnel [4]. Ambassador Huckabee has defended the GHF, stating that it distributes food without being looted by Hamas [5].
However, doubts about the actual benefit of the GHF are growing, with critics accusing it of being a political prestige project of the U.S. and Israel. The UN and international NGOs sharply criticize the GHF, describing it as a "militarized aid structure" that does more harm than good [6].
In response to the mounting criticism, the U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited a distribution center of the GHF in the Gaza Strip, where he conversed with aid seekers on the ground and received briefings by the Israeli army [7]. Meanwhile, political opponents, including 21 U.S. senators, have called on President Trump to stop funding the GHF [8].
As the controversy surrounding the GHF continues, the international community grapples with the question of whether the benefits of the aid delivered outweigh the risks posed to civilians attempting to access it.
References: [1] Human Rights Watch. (2025). Israel/Gaza: Aid Sites Under Attack. [online] Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/15/israelgaza-aid-sites-under-attack
[2] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (2025). Gaza: Humanitarian Crisis Deepens. [online] Available at: https://www.ochaopt.org/content/gaza-humanitarian-crisis-deepens
[3] Amnesty International. (2025). Israel/Gaza: Starvation as a Weapon of War. [online] Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/06/israel-gaza-starvation-as-a-weapon-of-war/
[4] The Guardian. (2025). US-backed Gaza aid operation under fire over civilian deaths. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/16/us-backed-gaza-aid-operation-under-fire-over-civilian-deaths
[5] Reuters. (2025). U.S. Ambassador defends Gaza aid operation amid criticism. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-gaza-aid/u-s-ambassador-defends-gaza-aid-operation-amid-criticism-idUSKCN24B19X
[6] Al Jazeera. (2025). Gaza aid crisis: UN and NGOs criticise US-backed system. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/06/gaza-aid-crisis-un-ngos-criticise-us-backed-system-150616143053022.html
[7] Jerusalem Post. (2025). Huckabee visits Gaza aid distribution center. [online] Available at: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/us-ambassador-huckabee-visits-gaza-aid-distribution-center-469891
[8] Politico. (2025). Senators urge Trump to cut funding for Gaza aid operation. [online] Available at: https://www.politico.com/story/2025/06/17/senators-urge-trump-to-cut-funding-for-gaza-aid-operation-469915
- Reports of the war-and-conflicts in Gaza, particularly regarding the controversial aid distribution mechanism, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), have raised concerns over the use of a kind of aid operation that is heavily militarized, causing harm to civilians seeking aid.
- In the realm of general-news and crime-and-justice, the ongoing scrutiny of the GHF's operations has led to accusations of the organization's involvement in war crimes, with the United Nations, human rights groups, and international NGOs calling for an end to this US-backed aid distribution system.
