Gaza Humanitarian Foundation may be 'complicit in war crimes', right groups say
A group of 15 human rights and legal organisations has called for the suspension of aid operations by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), warning that the initiative, backed by Israel and the United States, may be complicit in international crimes.
The GHF, a recently launched and controversial aid distribution mechanism, commenced operations in Gaza on 27 May, following nearly three months of an Israeli blockade on the entry of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip.
The organisations criticised the GHF for a lack of “transparency, impartiality, and accountability”, citing concerns over its opaque structure and the absence of publicly available operational plans.
According to the letter, the new relief delivery method, which has sought to wrest distribution away from major aid groups led by the United Nations, is a "radical and dangerous shift away from established international humanitarian relief operations".
It adds that the "privatized, militarized aid distribution" is one that is "dehumanizing, repeatedly deadly and contributes to the forced displacement of the very population it purports to help," referencing the ongoing killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces near GHF aid points.
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The 15 groups urged all organisations and individuals working or assisting GHF, including the private military contractors at the distribution hubs such as Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions, to end their operations.
"Failure to do so may expose these organizations and their officers, representatives, and agents to further risk of criminal and civil liability for aiding and abetting or otherwise being complicit in crimes under international law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in violation of international law, US law and other relevant national laws under the principle of universal jurisdiction," the letter warned.
"GHF’s militarized model, coupled with its close collaboration with Israeli authorities, undermines the core humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence."
The organisations also note that forcing starving Palestinians to walk long distances through militarised areas to obtain aid "creates an immediate risk of forced displacement that may violate the prohibition on forcible displacement of civilians".
'Death traps'
Established in February, GHF has come under growing criticism from rights groups and activists, including the United Nations.
The scheme has been accused of dehumanising Palestinians and providing insufficient food, in addition to imperilling their life, as Israeli forces routinely open fire on the starving crowds.
Described as "death traps", the few GHF-operated aid distribution points have become places where Palestinians expect bloodshed instead of respite from the war.
A recent press release by the non-proft Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor stated that the US-backed organisation was "directly responsible for the escalating Israeli crimes against starved Palestinian civilians".
"The foundation's operational model involves luring civilians to specific locations coordinated with the Israeli army, where they are subjected to killing, injury, and cruel and degrading treatment.
"These points have effectively become death traps used as tools in Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian population for over 20 months."
According to health sources in Gaza, at least 516 people have been killed near the GHF-run hubs, with more than 3,799 others wounded and 39 missing since its operations began a month ago.
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