Gaza Aid Operations Suspended Amid Mounting Civilian Casualties, Global Outcry
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an aid group reportedly backed by both the United States and Israel, announced it will not resume food distribution operations in Gaza until ongoing maintenance and repairs at its distribution sites are completed.
In a statement posted Wednesday on Facebook, the GHF said its centers “will not open as early as Thursday morning” and promised to update the public on reopening times “as soon as work is complete.” The group urged Palestinians to use only the Israeli-designated access routes to its sites to “ensure safe passage.”
The announcement follows a series of deadly incidents near GHF’s Rafah distribution site, where dozens of Palestinians were killed or injured while attempting to access food aid. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israeli forces opened fire on civilians near the Rafah site on Tuesday, killing at least 27 people and injuring around 90. Similar attacks on Sunday and Monday reportedly resulted in more than 30 additional deaths and scores of injuries.
The Israeli military has denied intentionally targeting civilians, saying troops only fired warning shots or responded to perceived threats. An army spokesperson stated that individuals approaching outside of designated safe corridors “endangered” soldiers.
Despite the denials, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported receiving 179 casualties from Sunday’s incident alone, including 21 people who were declared dead upon arrival. The ICRC described the victims’ injuries as consistent with gunfire and shrapnel and included women and children.
The United Nations and several world governments have expressed alarm over the escalating violence. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an independent investigation and accountability for those responsible. In the UK, Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer described the deaths as “deeply disturbing” and labeled Israel’s new aid delivery measures “inhumane.”
GHF, which began aid operations on May 26, has denied the reported casualty figures and labeled media reports of mass deaths at its sites as “outright fabrications.” However, its own operations remain halted, and Israeli forces continue to consider roads to aid centers “combat zones” during what officials have termed “reorganisation work.”
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. On Wednesday, Gaza’s Civil Defence reported that at least 48 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, including 18 who died when a shelter for displaced persons in southern Khan Younis was hit.
The Israeli military also announced Thursday that it had recovered the remains of two Israeli hostages from Khan Younis. The captives were among those seized during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack in southern Israel, which killed over 1,100 people and led to the ongoing conflict. Israel estimates that 56 hostages remain in Gaza, including at least 20 believed to be alive.
Since the war began, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 124,000 wounded, underscoring the urgent need for humanitarian access and protection of civilians.
