Saturday, 12 July, 2025
The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday it had recorded at least 798 deaths over the past six weeks near aid distribution sites in Gaza run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), as well as along routes used by other relief organisations.
The GHF, which began operations in late May after Israel eased an 11-week aid blockade, uses private US security and logistics firms to transport supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing the UN-led aid system. Israel has accused this system of allowing Hamas-led militants to intercept aid meant for civilians—an allegation Hamas denies.
Following the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians attempting to access GHF aid centres located in areas under Israeli military presence, the UN has criticised the GHF's model, describing it as “inherently unsafe” and in violation of humanitarian principles of impartiality.
"From 27 May to 7 July, we recorded 798 killings—615 in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites and 183 believed to have occurred along aid convoy routes," OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a press briefing in Geneva.
The GHF has rejected the UN’s findings, calling the figures “false and misleading”. It denies that any fatal incidents have occurred at its sites.
“The deadliest attacks on aid sites have in fact been linked to UN convoys,” a GHF spokesperson claimed. “Ultimately, the solution is more aid. If the UN and other humanitarian agencies collaborated with us, these violent incidents could be significantly reduced or even eliminated.”
In response, Shamdasani said: “It is not helpful to issue blanket dismissals of our concerns—what is needed are thorough investigations into why people are being killed while trying to access life-saving assistance.”
The Israeli military told Reuters it is reviewing recent mass casualty incidents. It added that it has taken steps to reduce friction between civilians and Israeli forces by installing fences, placing warning signs, and opening additional access routes.
According to the OHCHR, most of the injuries sustained by Palestinians near aid hubs since 27 May were gunshot wounds. The agency based its casualty figures on information from hospitals, cemeteries, family members, Palestinian health authorities, NGOs, and field partners in Gaza.
“We’ve raised concerns that atrocity crimes may have been committed and that there is a continuing risk of such crimes as desperate civilians queue for essential supplies,” Shamdasani said.
Israel maintains that its forces are stationed near relief sites to prevent aid from being diverted to militants amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which erupted following the Hamas-led cross-border attack on 7 October 2023.
On Friday, the GHF said it had delivered over 70 million meals in five weeks and accused criminal gangs and Hamas of looting “nearly all” aid provided by other organisations.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has previously reported instances of violent looting, and the World Food Programme said last week that most food trucks entering Gaza had been intercepted by “hungry civilian communities”.
Twenty-one months into the Israeli military campaign, much of Gaza lies in ruins. With widespread destruction and mass displacement of its 2.3 million residents, the enclave continues to suffer from severe shortages of food and basic supplies.
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The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday it had recorded at least 798 deaths over the past six weeks near aid distribution sites in Gaza run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), as well as along routes used by other relief organisations.
The GHF, which began operations in late May after Israel eased an 11-week aid blockade, uses private US security and logistics firms to transport supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing the UN-led aid system. Israel has accused this system of allowing Hamas-led militants to intercept aid meant for civilians—an allegation Hamas denies.
Following the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians attempting to access GHF aid centres located in areas under Israeli military presence, the UN has criticised the GHF's model, describing it as “inherently unsafe” and in violation of humanitarian principles of impartiality.
"From 27 May to 7 July, we recorded 798 killings—615 in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites and 183 believed to have occurred along aid convoy routes," OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a press briefing in Geneva.
The GHF has rejected the UN’s findings, calling the figures “false and misleading”. It denies that any fatal incidents have occurred at its sites.
“The deadliest attacks on aid sites have in fact been linked to UN convoys,” a GHF spokesperson claimed. “Ultimately, the solution is more aid. If the UN and other humanitarian agencies collaborated with us, these violent incidents could be significantly reduced or even eliminated.”
In response, Shamdasani said: “It is not helpful to issue blanket dismissals of our concerns—what is needed are thorough investigations into why people are being killed while trying to access life-saving assistance.”
The Israeli military told Reuters it is reviewing recent mass casualty incidents. It added that it has taken steps to reduce friction between civilians and Israeli forces by installing fences, placing warning signs, and opening additional access routes.
According to the OHCHR, most of the injuries sustained by Palestinians near aid hubs since 27 May were gunshot wounds. The agency based its casualty figures on information from hospitals, cemeteries, family members, Palestinian health authorities, NGOs, and field partners in Gaza.
“We’ve raised concerns that atrocity crimes may have been committed and that there is a continuing risk of such crimes as desperate civilians queue for essential supplies,” Shamdasani said.
Israel maintains that its forces are stationed near relief sites to prevent aid from being diverted to militants amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which erupted following the Hamas-led cross-border attack on 7 October 2023.
On Friday, the GHF said it had delivered over 70 million meals in five weeks and accused criminal gangs and Hamas of looting “nearly all” aid provided by other organisations.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has previously reported instances of violent looting, and the World Food Programme said last week that most food trucks entering Gaza had been intercepted by “hungry civilian communities”.
Twenty-one months into the Israeli military campaign, much of Gaza lies in ruins. With widespread destruction and mass displacement of its 2.3 million residents, the enclave continues to suffer from severe shortages of food and basic supplies.
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