130 Charities Demand Closure of US-Israeli Backed Gaza Aid Group

US-Israeli Backed Gaza Aid Group Must Be Shut Down, Say 130 Charities

Over 130 humanitarian organisations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and Amnesty International, have issued a powerful joint statement calling for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to be immediately shut down. The controversial aid initiative, backed by Israel and the United States, has come under fire for endangering civilians and violating international humanitarian norms.

Since the GHF began operations in late May, following a three-month Israeli blockade of Gaza, over 500 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 4,000 injured while attempting to access aid, according to medics, eyewitnesses, and Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The joint statement issued on Tuesday accuses the GHF of "militarising aid" and "forcing civilians into overcrowded, militarised zones", where they face daily gunfire. UN agencies have also condemned the GHF, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres calling it "inherently unsafe".

Previously, during a temporary ceasefire, Gaza had more than 400 aid distribution points. The GHF has replaced these with just four military-controlled aid centres – three in Gaza’s far southwest and one in the central region. Charities argue this shift forces desperate civilians to travel long distances through high-risk zones, creating what they call an “impossible choice: starve or risk being shot.”

Children and caregivers are among the dead, with children reportedly harmed in over half of the attacks on civilians at these sites.

Israel Defends the GHF, Denies Allegations

The Israeli government denies that its forces deliberately shoot at Palestinians seeking aid. It maintains that the GHF is a strategic measure to bypass Hamas and deliver direct assistance to civilians in need.

In response to mounting criticism, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced plans to reorganise access to GHF sites, including the installation of new fencing, directional signage, and warning signs to "improve operational response".

However, a Haaretz investigation revealed that unnamed IDF soldiers alleged they had received orders to open fire on unarmed civilians near GHF distribution sites to disperse them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly rejected these allegations, calling them "malicious falsehoods".

Still, the damage to the GHF’s credibility may already be done. The 130+ NGOs declared, "GHF is not a humanitarian response", adding that hunger and famine-like conditions have worsened under the system. “Many families tell us they are now too weak to compete for food rations,” the statement reads.

With growing international pressure and humanitarian concerns mounting, the fate of the GHF could define not only the future of aid in Gaza but also broader debates over how militarised humanitarian responses reshape modern conflict zones.