More than 130 charities and NGOs, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and Amnesty International, are calling for the closure of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — a controversial aid distribution initiative backed by the US and Israel.
Since the GHF began operations in late May, following a three-month Israeli blockade of Gaza, over 500 Palestinians have reportedly been killed while trying to access aid, and nearly 4,000 injured, according to the groups.
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The organizations accuse both Israeli forces and armed groups of routinely firing on civilians seeking aid. In contrast, Israel denies its soldiers are deliberately targeting aid recipients and defends the GHF as a means of providing direct assistance, bypassing Hamas.
A joint statement issued Tuesday by the aid groups argues that the GHF violates core humanitarian principles by forcing two million Gazans into overcrowded, militarized zones, where they face daily risks of gunfire.
Eyewitnesses, medics, and the Hamas-run health ministry have reported daily incidents of people being shot while attempting to reach aid, including children and caregivers among the dead. The GHF system, the statement notes, replaced 400 former aid points with just four military-controlled sites — three in southwest Gaza and one in central Gaza.
“Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,” the statement reads.
“Orphaned children and caregivers are among the dead, with children harmed in over half of the attacks on civilians at these sites.”
The United Nations has also condemned the GHF system. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described it as “inherently unsafe,” echoing earlier UN warnings that the plan would militarize aid, dismantle existing distribution networks, and force Gazans to traverse dangerous territory.
While the Israeli military said it is reviewing reports of civilian harm near GHF sites, an Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported Friday that unnamed IDF soldiers claimed they had received orders to shoot unarmed civilians approaching the aid centers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly denied the claims, calling them “malicious falsehoods,” and the IDF dismissed allegations of intentional targeting.
In response to criticism, the IDF announced plans to reorganize access to distribution sites, including adding fencing, directional signage, and warning markers to improve safety.
Still, the coalition of aid groups maintains that the GHF is “not a humanitarian response.”
“Amidst severe hunger and famine-like conditions, many families tell us they are now too weak to compete for food rations,” the statement concludes.
