One month into Gaza's new aid system - killings, gunfire and chaos are routine | BBC News

Key Concepts

• Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF): A controversial US and Israeli-backed aid organization operating in Gaza since late May.
• Kerem Shalom Border Crossing: A key entry point for aid into Gaza, now often blockaded.
• Aid Distribution Sites: Locations within Gaza where aid is distributed, often scenes of violence.
• IDF (Israeli Defense Forces): The Israeli military, accused of firing on civilians at aid distribution sites.
• Disinformation: Allegations by the GHF that reports of deaths at their distribution sites are false.
• Engineered Famine: Accusation that Israel is deliberately restricting aid to cause starvation in Gaza.
• Malnutrition: Severe hunger and lack of essential nutrients, especially affecting children in Gaza.
• Humanitarian Principles: Basic rules of conduct for humanitarian actors, allegedly violated by the GHF.
• UN Agencies: United Nations organizations with established aid distribution mechanisms in Gaza.

Aid Blockade and Humanitarian Crisis

• Before October 7th, 500-600 trucks of aid entered Gaza daily through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
• Since then, aid has been severely restricted, including a 12-week blockade.
• The current aid flow is insufficient for the 2.1 million people in Gaza facing "catastrophic levels of hunger."
• The Israeli government has blockaded the Kerem Shalom crossing, citing Hamas looting of aid.

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) Controversy

• The GHF is a US and Israeli-backed organization that began operating in Gaza in late May after an 11-week aid blockade.
• It bypasses UN operations and has established distribution sites, including three in the south and one near the Netzarim corridor.
• The GHF has received $30 million in direct US funding.
• MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) has called for the GHF's operations to be halted, branding it "slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid."
• The GHF's chairman is Reverend Johnny Moore, an American evangelical pastor.

Violence at Aid Distribution Sites

• The UN reports that 400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in recent weeks, many while queuing for aid.
• Merlin Thomas from BBC Verify investigated videos of killings at distribution sites, all occurring since the GHF began operating.
• Videos show people scrambling for aid, hiding in ditches, and automatic gunfire being heard.
• One video shows an explosion and injured people, including children, near the SDS4 distribution site.
• The GHF has announced "secure routes" for accessing aid, but videos show gunfire and injured Palestinians along these routes.
• The GHF denies any incidents or fatalities at or near its distribution sites.
• Footage from other aid sites (not related to the GHF) also shows violence, such as a video from Kunis where witnesses reported IDF drones and a tank firing at a crowd waiting for aid, resulting in at least 21 deaths.
• The IDF stated they identified a gathering next to a stuck aid truck near IDF troops and regret any harm to uninvolved individuals.

Allegations Against the IDF

• Legal expert Sara Elizabeth Dill states that mass shootings during civilian relief access violate core rules against targeting civilians and using starvation as a weapon, potentially rising to war crimes.
• The IDF claims to conduct systematic learning processes to improve operational response and minimize friction with the population.
• Action Aid Palestine reports receiving information that people killed at distribution sites were killed by Israeli fire, either by direct artillery bombardment or gunfire.
• An article in Haaretz (Israeli newspaper) cited testimonies from Israeli soldiers who claimed they received direct orders to shoot anyone in the vicinity of aid distribution centers, including unarmed civilians.

GHF's Response and Counter-Arguments

• Reverend Johnny Moore (GHF chairman) claims that reports of killings at GHF distribution points are "disinformation" intended to discourage Gazans from seeking assistance and to shut down the operation.
• He acknowledges that Gaza is an active war zone and that some casualties are unintentional or intentional (by Hamas), and that the IDF has admitted responsibility for some casualties.
• He insists that there is no evidence of people being killed in proximity to GHF sites.
• The GHF believes that more aid will create more certainty and less urgency among the population.

Alternative Perspectives and Criticisms

• Jamil Sawme (Action Aid Palestine) states that the GHF is a mechanism "widely denounced" by international aid organizations, the UN, and Palestinian entities.
• He argues that it violates basic humanitarian principles and lacks operational capacity for household-level distribution.
• He claims it undermines the decades of experience of UN agencies and international aid agencies with established aid distribution mechanisms.
• He describes the GHF as an "illegal mechanism" that challenges the accepted world humanitarian system.
• He states that more than 500 people have been killed either queuing or on the way to these aid distribution sites.

Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

• Jamil Sawme describes the current situation as the "most dire" and "most complicated" since the beginning of the war in October 2023.
• He accuses Israel of "engineered famine" due to the total closure of the Gaza strip, while thousands of metric tons of aid are piled up at the borders.
• He reports that over 500 people have been killed trying to get aid, and thousands have been injured.
• He states that 70,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition, and 10,000 children visit medical points daily for malnutrition support.
• He reports 62 documented cases of children dying from acute malnutrition.
• He concludes that there is a "total starvation and a thirst catastrophe" in Gaza due to the blockade.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The situation surrounding aid distribution in Gaza is highly contentious and dangerous. The US and Israeli-backed GHF is facing severe criticism for its operations, with accusations that its activities are leading to increased violence and casualties among civilians seeking aid. Reports of killings at or near distribution sites, allegedly by Israeli forces, are disputed by the GHF, which claims disinformation. Meanwhile, established aid organizations argue that the GHF undermines existing humanitarian efforts and violates core principles. The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, marked by widespread hunger and malnutrition, is exacerbated by restricted aid access and ongoing violence, creating a complex and tragic crisis.