UN says US-backed aid agency operated by Israeli military in Gaza has been a 'failure'

The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation stating that it is a "death trap" for starving Palestinians and that it has been aiding Israel in its genocidal war against Gaza.
Palestinians at the aid distribution site of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organisation approved by Israel, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Palestinians at the aid distribution site of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organisation approved by Israel, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 29, 2025.(Photo | AP)
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The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been a failure from a humanitarian standpoint of view, the United Nations said on Friday.

The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation stating that it is a "death trap" for starving Palestinians and that it has been aiding Israel in its genocidal war against Gaza.

Hundreds of starving Palestinians, including women and children, were killed by the Israeli military in indiscriminate attacks at the GHF's aid distribution sites.

Israel has been accused by the UN and other human rights organisations of using starvation as a weapon in its genocidal war against Palestinains by blocking all humanitarian assistance into the war ravaged territory.

"GHF, I think it's fair to say, has been, from a principled humanitarian standpoint, a failure," Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, told a press briefing in Geneva.

"They are not doing what a humanitarian operation should do, which is providing aid to people where they are, in a safe and secure manner.

"We have the operation ready to roll with food and other supplies ready. We have them in the region, they are pre-cleared by the Israelis.

"We need the borders open to get in and of course we need the safety and security and some resemblance of law and order inside Gaza in order to distribute it."

An officially private effort with opaque funding and backed by Israel, GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.

GHF claimed Thursday it had distributed nearly 2.6 million meals on Thursday and more than 18.6 million to date.

The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday after Israel attacked and destroyed the territory's last fibre optic cable.

"There was and there still is a massive comms blackout," said Laerke.

"If there is no communication it really is damaging" for aid services, he said.

"There is an active effort to try to fix it, of course, and everybody is looking into that, because things kind of ground to a halt when these things happen."

Palestinians at the aid distribution site of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organisation approved by Israel, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 29, 2025.
US-backed Gaza aid centres to close temporarily after Israel attacks starving Palestinians, killing 27

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