ISTANBUL
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Monday delivered a blistering condemnation of food distribution operations in Gaza, accusing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) of behaving like “mercenaries” and contributing to a catastrophic collapse of humanitarian norms.
In a statement, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the GHF’s role in aid deliveries as a “sadistic death trap,” saying civilians are being shot at while scrambling for food.
“Snipers open fire randomly on crowds as if they are given a license to kill,” Lazzarini said. “A massive hunt of people, in total impunity.”
He said more than 1,000 starving civilians have been reported killed while attempting to access food since the end of May.
Lazzarini highlighted the dire conditions in Gaza, where hunger and exhaustion are overwhelming caretakers. “No one is spared,” he said, adding: “Caretakers in Gaza are also in need of care; including doctors, nurses, journalists and humanitarians are hungry.”
He noted: “The so-called ‘GHF’ distribution scheme is a sadistic death trap,” adding: “This cannot be our new norm; humanitarian assistance is not the job of mercenaries.”
He urged an end to the violence and the reinstatement of proper international aid mechanisms, emphasizing that the UN and its partners “have the expertise, experience, and available resources to provide safe, dignified, and at-scale assistance.”
“We have proven it time and again during the last ceasefire,” Lazzarini said. “This cannot be our new norm.”
The GHF is an American organization backed by Israel. Israel cut off supplies to Gaza in March, and the group started operating in Gaza in late May, bypassing the UN and other established NGOs, but has been criticized by Palestinians and international groups for the high numbers of casualties linked to its operations.
Earlier in the day, the Gaza Health Ministry said that 99 Palestinians were killed and over 650 injured while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 1,021, with over 6,511 others wounded since May 27.
Israel has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.