Israel hopes the GHF can replace the UN’s former aid distribution network, which it accuses of being exploited by Hamas to steal supplies. However, UN agencies and major humanitarian groups have rejected this new system, calling it unworkable, insufficient, and unethical. They also deny widespread aid theft by Hamas.
Humanitarian officials in Gaza say GHF’s current aid efforts fall far short of meeting the population’s needs and have refused to cooperate with the organization, citing its alignment with Israel’s military agenda.
Israel launched its latest offensive in Gaza following Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which left approximately 1,200 people dead—mostly civilians—and saw 251 taken hostage. Of those, 53 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, fewer than half of whom are believed to still be alive.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 5,194 people have been killed since Israel resumed major military operations on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that 19 more people were killed in three Israeli airstrikes targeting homes and tents housing displaced civilians.
Medical teams reported even higher numbers, confirming at least 21 deaths from separate airstrikes on the Maghazi refugee camp, the Zeitoun neighborhood, and Gaza City. Five others were killed in a strike on a makeshift shelter in Khan Younis.
Since the start of the war, the death toll in Gaza has soared to 55,493, according to the latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.***