U.S.-backed Gaza aid group pauses work amid reported killings
The controversial U.S.-backed humanitarian aid operation in Gaza, which has been mired by reports of dozens of Palestinians being killed trying to reach its distribution hubs in the war-torn enclave since it started work just over a week ago, said it was pausing its operations for Wednesday. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said in a statement posted on social media that the pause was "for update, organization, and efficiency improvement work," but a spokesperson for the group said it was working to address security concerns.
GHF said in its brief statement that operations would resume on Thursday.
The United Nations and other aid agencies have refused to work with the group, calling it a distraction and accusing it of weaponizing access to desperately needed food. More than 50 people have been killed by Israeli forces near the sites, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Ministry of Health, which has called the GHF effort a trap for hungry Palestinians.
The Israeli military has denied the accusations and accused Hamas of shooting at people seeking aid.
The funding, operational details and origins of the GHF have remained murky since its inception, and it has been plagued not only by grave questions about security for civilians accessing its hubs, but by potentially existential issues regarding its internal operations.
The move comes just days after GHF said it would shutter its Switzerland-based office after officials there told CBS News the foundation was violating Swiss rules for non-governmental organizations. It also comes just a day after The Washington Post reported that U.S.-based consulting firm Boston Global had severed its ties with the group and launched an internal review over its involvement with GHF.
GHF said it began work in Gaza on May 27, but it remains unclear where it is based and who is funding its operations. Its official website consists only of a homepage bearing its name and the message: "More information coming soon."
A GHF spokesperson told CBS News in a statement sent Wednesday that the group was "actively engaged in discussions with" Israel's military aimed at enhancing security "beyond the immediate perimeter of GHF sites."
The organization said it had asked the Israel Defense Forces to "guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks" around its ongoing military operations in Gaza, to offer clearer guidance for civilians seeking to reach its distribution hubs, and to "enhance IDF force training and refine internal IDF procedures to support safety."
"Our top priority remains ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians receiving aid," the spokesperson said in the statement, which was also shared with other news outlets.
Health officials in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip said 27 Palestinians were killed trying to reach a GHF hub in southern Gaza on Tuesday alone. The Israeli military denied the claim of mass shooting at civilians, saying troops about a third of a mile away from the site had fired at several people who were deemed to present a threat after they strayed beyond the defined boundaries of the access route. The IDF said it was looking into the reports of civilian casualties.
In a message posted Wednesday on social media in Arabic, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee warned Gazans against using the roads leading to GHF distribution centers, saying they would be considered "combat zones" for the day and stressing that access to them was "prohibited and dangerous."
The IDF has repeatedly accused Hamas of sabotaging the GHF effort, accusing it of sending gunmen specifically to shoot at civilians at the aid hubs.
"We are not preventing Gaza residents from accessing aid distribution sites," IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said in a video statement posted online Tuesday, before the one-day pause was reported. "Food packages are being distributed daily by a U.S.-based civilian company. This initiative is proving effective. Gazan residents are coming to the distribution centers to receive the aid. The civilian population of Gaza understands that Hamas is not taking care of them — on the contrary, Hamas is actively trying to prevent them from receiving the aid."
Defrin said IDF forces "operate nearby and do whatever is necessary to ensure that the aid does not fall into the hands of Hamas."
He also accused the United Nations' aid agencies of failing to collect and distribute more than 450 trucks carrying humanitarian aid that Israel says were allowed into Gaza in recent days but left waiting on the other side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Israel. The U.N. has rejected similar previous Israeli claims, noting that Israeli forces maintain control over virtually all of Gaza and that there are huge logistics challenges to operating in a densely populated active warzone.
And the IDF's assault, which Israel has vowed to continue until Hamas is destroyed and the remaining 58 Israeli hostages are brought back home from Gaza, has continued to ramp up despite the U.S.-backed aid effort.
CBS News' team in Gaza was there as Palestinians rushed to rescue survivors of an Israeli strike that destroyed a bank in Gaza City where families had taken shelter. At least seven people were killed and dozens injured, according to first responders who spoke with CBS News at the scene. They were among 97 Palestinians killed over the preceding 24 hours alone, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, which put the overall death toll from the war at 54,607 as of Wednesday.
The war was sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel orchestrated by Hamas, which has long been designated a terrorist group by the U.S., Israel and the European Union.
That attack killed some 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage into Gaza. Israeli authorities believe about 20 of the remaining hostages are still alive.
January 6 defendant refuses Trump's pardon
Sneak peek: Where is Jermain Charlo?
Baldwin grills McMahon on unallocated funds for students, schools, approved by Congress
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
36 minutes ago
- The Hill
Drinking sugar may be worse than eating it, study finds
PROVO, Utah (KTVX) — Drinking your sugar may be worse for you than previously thought. That is, according to a recent study conducted by Brigham Young University (BYU) researchers in collaboration with several researchers from Germany-based institutions. The study, which analyzed data from over half a million people across multiple continents, found that sugar consumed through drinks, such as soda and juice, was consistently linked to a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. Sugar from other sources reportedly showed no such link or were, in some cases, associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Karen Della Corte, the lead author on the study and a BYU nutritional science professor, said this was the first study to draw clear 'dose-response' relationships between different sugar sources and Type 2 diabetes risks. 'It highlights why drinking your sugar, whether from soda or juice, is more problematic for health than eating it,' said Della Corte. The study suggests the more problematic nature of sugary drinks may come down to differing metabolic effects. Researchers said sugar-sweetened drinks contain isolated sugars that lead to a higher glycemic impact that overwhelm and disrupt metabolism in the liver. This, in turn, increases liver fat and insulin resistance, the study says. Meanwhile, the sugars that can be found in fruits, dairy products, or whole grains do not overload the liver. The beneficial nutrients, such as fiber, fats, and proteins, help slow the blood glucose responses that dietary sugars bring. 'This study underscores the need for even more stringent recommendations for liquid sugars such as those in sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice, as they appear to harmfully associate with metabolic health,' Della Corte said. 'Rather than condemning all added sugars, future dietary guidelines might consider the differential effects of sugar based on its source and form.' The study has been published in the Advances in Nutrition journal.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What we know about the killing of Palestinians at a food point in Gaza
On Sunday, at least 31 Palestinians were killed after Israeli forces opened fire at the site of a food distribution centre in Rafah, Gaza, according to witnesses. On Monday, another three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire at the same site, according to health officials and a witness. And on Tuesday, 27 people were killed after Israeli forces opened fire again, say Gaza officials. The incidents have intensified criticism of the new system for distributing supplies in Gaza, run by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) rather than by the UN or well-established aid organisations. The UN's human rights chief, Volker Türk, said on Tuesday that Palestinians in Gaza now faced an impossible choice: 'Die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available.' The attacks on civilians, he added, constituted a war crime. All three incidents unfolded in the same area, near the al-Alam roundabout, about 1km from the GHF distribution centre in Rafah. The Israeli military is not present on the site itself – where armed American contractors are in charge – but it controls the surrounding areas. On Sunday, rescuers and witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire as people congregated before going to pick up food parcels. Israel denied firing 'near or within' the site, but an Israeli military source later acknowledged that 'warning shots were fired towards several suspects' about 1km away. The GHF denied that there were any 'injuries, fatalities or incidents' during its operations. Gaza's civil defence agency reported that 31 people were killed, with another 176 wounded. On Monday, the Israeli military again acknowledged firing warning shots towards 'suspects who advanced toward the troops and posed a threat to them'. Three people were killed, said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and dozens more injured. On Tuesday, witnesses said that the shooting started at about 4am local time, as crowds started to gather in the hope of getting food before the centre ran out for the day. Mohammed al-Shaer told AFP that 'the Israeli army fired shots into the air, then began shooting directly at the people', with a helicopter and drones present as the crowd approached a barrier separating them from the Israeli forces. The IDF said 'suspects' failed to retreat after warning fire and 'additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced towards the troops'. A statement claimed that they were not following 'designated access routes' to the GHF site. The GHF says civilians should arrive via a single coastal road, a route that one expert told the BBC was neither 'safe nor effective'. Local health officials put the death toll at 27 so far, including at least three children. Mohammed Saqr, the head of nursing at Nasser hospital, which received the bodies, told the Guardian that they had shrapnel wounds which appeared consistent with being targeted by tanks or artillery. Accounts from the scene suggest that besides the conduct of the Israeli forces, there are other factors exacerbating the situation. Food is reportedly running out very early each day, adding to the chaos as people desperately try to secure supplies for themselves and their families. Even if all of the GHF sites were opened, large numbers of people needing support would be congregating in a very few places; with only one site up and running since Friday and only one access route allowed, that effect is worsened. Then there is the sheer physical difficulty of the journey for those living further away. 'It takes three or four hours to reach the distribution point from here,' said Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network in Gaza City. 'There are tens of thousands of people waiting to get a very limited amount of food parcels, and so there is a rush. There is no system; they just open the gate and tell people to go. The mechanism excludes older people, women with children, the sick, people with disabilities.' GHF says it has distributed just over 7m meals so far. It says that it will continue to increase its operations in the days ahead. But on Tuesday night it said that all of its distribution centres would be closed on Wednesday for 'update, organisation, and efficiency improvement work'. The Israeli military said that while the sites were closed, the areas leading to them would be considered 'combat zones'. The fact that food is running out so early each day is testament to how badly supply is outstripped by desperate demand. As of 12 May, almost all of the population of about 2.1 million were facing acute hunger, according to Unicef; one in five were facing starvation, and about 71,000 children and 17,000 mothers needed urgent treatment for acute malnutrition. Coverage of the war in Gaza is constrained by Israeli attacks on Palestinian journalists and a bar on international reporters entering the Gaza Strip to report independently on the war. Israel has not allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza since 7 October 2023, unless they are under Israeli military escort. Reporters who join these trips have no control over where they go, and other restrictions include a bar on speaking to Palestinians in Gaza. Palestinian journalists and media workers inside Gaza have paid a heavy price for their work reporting on the war, with over 160 killed since the conflict began. The committee to protect journalists has determined that at least 19 of them 'were directly targeted by Israeli forces in killings which CPJ classifies as murders'. Foreign reporters based in Israel filed a legal petition seeking access to Gaza, but it was rejected by the supreme court on security grounds. Private lobbying by diplomats and public appeals by prominent journalists and media outlets have been ignored by the Israeli government. To ensure accurate reporting from Gaza given these restrictions, the Guardian works with trusted journalists on the ground; our visual teams verify photo and videos from third parties; and we use clearly sourced data from organisations that have a track record of providing accurate information in Gaza during past conflicts, or during other conflicts or humanitarian crises. Emma Graham-Harrison, chief Middle East correspondent While the GHF has sought to emphasise the amount of food it has distributed so far, there are reasons to be sceptical that it will soon be able to start running the sites in a more orderly way. Its founding executive director, Jake Wood, quit last week, saying that it could not operate in a way that followed 'humanitarian principles'; on Tuesday, he was replaced by the Rev Dr Johnnie Moore. Donald Trump appointed Moore as a commissioner for international religious freedom, but Moore has no apparent experience of complex aid operations. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that Boston Consulting Group, which helped design the programme, had withdrawn its team working in Tel Aviv. Sources close to the operation told the Post that 'it would be difficult for the foundation to continue to function without the consultants who helped create it'. As the situation worsens, Israel is facing growing diplomatic pressure from the UK, other European countries and Canada. But the Trump administration continues to offer its unflagging support, and is likely to veto a UN security council resolution demanding unfettered access for aid operations on Wednesday. In those circumstances, it is difficult to see how the situation on the ground will improve. 'People have no option but to keep coming,' Shawa said. 'They will be back tomorrow in search of food. But they will pay a price to get it, and the price is in lives.'
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Israel retrieves body of Thai hostage as 95 more people reported killed in Gaza offensive
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel said Saturday that it had retrieved the body of a Thai hostage abducted into the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war, as the Israeli military continued its offensive, killing at least 95 people in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's health ministry. Nattapong Pinta's body was returned to Israel in a special military operation. Pinta came to Israel to work in agriculture. Israel's government said that he was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed early in the war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023. Thailand's foreign ministry reported that the last Thai hostage in Gaza was confirmed dead, and said the bodies of two others are yet to be retrieved. Fifty-five hostages remain in Gaza. Israel says more than half are dead. Families were rallying again Saturday evening in Israel, calling for a ceasefire deal that would bring everyone home. Israel's defense minister said that Pinta's body was retrieved from the Rafah area in southern Gaza. The army said that he was seized by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that also took two Israeli-American hostages, Judith Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies were retrieved on Thursday. Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive by Hamas militants. Many of the agricultural workers lived on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns, and Hamas militants overran those places first. A total of 46 Thais have been killed during the war, according to Thailand's foreign ministry. Separately, Hamas issued an unusual warning about another hostage, Matan Zangauker, saying Israel's military had surrounded the area where he's being held and that any harm that came to him during a rescue attempt would be Israel's responsibility. Israel's military didn't immediately comment. Israel continues its military offensive Four Israeli strikes hit the Muwasi area in southern Gaza between Rafah and Khan Younis. In northern Gaza, one strike hit an apartment, killing seven people including a mother and five children. Their bodies were taken to Shifa hospital 'Stand up, my love,' one weeping woman said, touching the shrouded bodies. Another strike in Gaza City killed six members of a family, including two children, according to the Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals. Israel said that it was responding to Hamas' 'barbaric attacks' and dismantling its capabilities. It said it takes all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Reports say some of the dead tried to get food aid Staff at Nasser hospital, which received the bodies of six people over the past 24 hours, said that they were killed while on their way to get food aid. Much of Gaza's population of more than 2 million relies on aid after widespread destruction of agriculture and markets as well as a recent Israeli blockade. Experts have warned of famine. Israel's army said that despite warnings that the aid distribution area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours, several suspects attempted to approach troops operating in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight 'in a manner that posed a threat.' The army said that troops called out, but as the suspects continued advancing, they fired warning shots. An army official who couldn't be named in line with military procedures said that the shots were fired about a kilometer (half-mile) from the distribution site. Over the past two weeks, shootings have occurred frequently near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed , according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said that it fired warning shots or, in some instances, at individuals approaching troops. The hubs are run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation , a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants GHF to replace humanitarian groups in Gaza that distribute aid in coordination with the United Nations. A GHF spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the group's rules, said that it didn't feed Gaza residents on Saturday and blamed Hamas threats. There was no immediate Hamas response. Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid under the U.N.-led system. The U.N. and aid groups deny there's significant diversion of aid to militants and say the new system — which they have rejected — allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and won't be effective. The U.N says it has been unable to distribute much aid under its own system because of Israeli military restrictions on movements and insecurity. Separately, Palestinians lined up at a soup kitchen in Gaza City for handouts on the second day of Eid al-Adha . 'I have been standing here for more than an hour and a half. I feel I have a sunstroke, and I am in need,' said the waiting Farida al-Sayed, who said she had six people to feed. 'I only had lentils, and I ran out of them.' Death tolls since the war began Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. Most were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Hamas-run Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians. ___ Mohammad Jahjouh reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip. Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut. ___ Follow the AP's war coverage at ___ A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the previous bodies were recovered on Thursday, not Friday. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
