Dozens of Palestinians deliberately killed, wounded at GHF aid sites
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The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation suspends aid operations after 110 Palestinians were killed in US-backed Israeli attacks near Rafah, denounced as war crimes.
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Palestinians carry Reem al-Akhras, who was killed while heading to an aid distribution hub, during her funeral in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 3, 2025 (AP)
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has suspended operations at its aid distribution centers after 110 Palestinians were killed in incidents that the Gaza government has denounced as American- and Israeli-backed "death traps".
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which receives support from both the United States and the Israeli occupation, announced on Friday the closure of all its aid distribution sites until further notice.
Just two days earlier, the foundation had temporarily suspended distribution operations, citing the need to discuss security measures with the Israeli military.
An Israeli military spokesperson warned Gaza residents against approaching the foundation's aid distribution centers, following the killing of dozens of Palestinians near a distribution site in Rafah after Israeli soldiers opened fire on them.
110 killed in Israeli 'death traps'
In the same context, Gaza's Government Media Office reported on Friday that eight starved civilians were killed and 61 others wounded by gunfire from Israeli occupation forces and the US security firms in southern Gaza's Rafah.
The Media Office stated in its release that the death toll from Israeli attacks on aid distribution centers has now risen to 110, with 583 wounded and 9 missing.
The statement further stated that starved civilians are being deliberately lured into these US-backed Israeli aid centers only to be intentionally fired upon, turning humanitarian distribution points into what it called "mass death traps."
It condemned these actions as constituting full-fledged war crimes under international humanitarian law, specifically violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, and urged the United Nations, the Security Council, and all international organizations to take immediate and decisive action against "Israel" and its crimes.
The Media Office also condemned how, on what should be a day of peace and compassion (Eid), Israeli occupation forces and US personnel are perpetuating Gaza's starvation crisis as the international community looks on silently, which they described as a moral failure.
These developments come as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation fails in its alleged goal, with the head of the initiative resigning and companies involved in it pulling out.
Gaza humanitarian foundation slowly collapses
Jake Wood, who led the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as executive director, stepped down on May 26 after declaring the group's aid distribution framework unworkable without breaching essential humanitarian ethics.
In a public statement, Wood expressed pride in the ambitious plan he had developed, a strategy designed to distribute 300 million meals within 90 days while simultaneously preventing aid diversion and enhancing the efforts of existing NGOs.
However, he emphasized that executing this plan would inevitably compromise the core humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence, standards he refused to violate.
Wood resigns, Moore assumes controversial role
On June 4, it was reported that an evangelical leader and advisor to US President Donald Trump on interfaith issues has been appointed the new head of the GHF.
Johnnie Moore, a member of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and founder of the Kairos Company, assumed leadership after former GHF head Jake Wood resigned.
Moore has publicly defended the GHF, pushing back against criticism of its launch. In a post addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Moore dismissed reports of Palestinians being killed or injured while seeking aid in Gaza as "a lie … spread by terrorists."
Despite Moore’s efforts to defend the initiative, the GHF continues to face fallout.
BCG withdraws
On June 3, the US-based management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) announced its withdrawal from involvement with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), amid intensifying scrutiny of the group’s transparency, funding sources, and affiliation with "Israel".
A company spokesperson confirmed the decision on Friday amid growing scrutiny of the foundation's operations, mounting reports of civilian harm, and reported involvement in massacres in Rafah.
The Washington Post reported that BCG's withdrawal could severely undermine the humanitarian initiative, given the firm's central role in creating payment systems for contractors, establishing delivery pricing mechanisms, and maintaining daily operations across four critical distribution hubs.
