J Street Distressed by Continued Reports of Shootings and Fatalities Near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Sites
Washington, DC – Following continued reports of chaos, shootings and fatalities near US-Israeli run “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” distribution sites, J Street Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg issued the following statement:
“We’re distressed by reports that dozens of people have again been killed in desperate, chaotic scenes at or near aid distribution sites set up by the US and Israeli-backed ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ (GHF). Along with reports that armed groups have opened fire near distribution centers, Israeli soldiers have also twice opened fire near crowds of civilians who have been forced to walk miles to distribution centers, resulting in dozens of reported fatalities.
While the details of these tragic events are not yet clear, what is clear is that Trump and Netanyahu’s aid plan is entirely insufficient and risks triggering a famine that would not only have horrific results for the Palestinian people but also for Israel’s moral character. This plan continues to put desperate Palestinian families and young Israeli soldiers in impossible positions with predictably catastrophic results.
As the Executive Director of the group himself said upon his recent resignation, ‘It is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, which I will not abandon.’
With senior members of the Netanyahu government continuing to talk openly about expelling Palestinians from Gaza permanently, we also share concerns raised by humanitarian agencies that the Netanyahu government is seeking to use aid as a tool to transfer and further displace a desperate civilian population.
It is beyond maddening that right now, thousands of tons of essential supplies – food, baby formula and women’s hygiene supplies – are sitting in trucks just miles away from those who need them, accompanied by personnel with the expertise and experience to deliver them. We urge the Israeli government to let aid in while working with those groups to ensure it reaches those who need it most and is not stolen by Hamas or other gangs. We also urge international aid groups to work with the Israeli government to see if the GHF can be revised so that it can play a constructive additive role in providing aid to Gaza.
We echo the sentiments of US and Israeli experts and veterans who have said that the best way to lower the risk of Hamas or other groups weaponizing aid is to flood the zone with supplies, reducing its value and eliminating black market trade.”