NGOs call for immediate action to end the deadly Israeli distribution program in Gaza (including the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation), restore existing non-leadership coordination mechanisms, and lift the Israeli government’s blockade of aid and commercial supplies. Now, the 400 aid allocation sites operating during the temporary ceasefire in Gaza are now replaced by only four military-controlled allocation sites, forcing two million people into crowded, militarized areas where they face daily shootings and massive casualties while trying to obtain food and deny other lifesaving supplies.
Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve to death or risk being shot while desperately trying to deliver food to support their families. The weeks since October 2023 after the launch of the Israeli issuance program have been the deadliest and most violent.
In less than four weeks, more than 500 Palestinians were killed and nearly 4,000 were injured, just trying to obtain or distribute food. Israeli forces and armed groups (some reportedly operated with the support of Israeli authorities) now routinely opens up desperate civilian adventures, taking all the risks of survival.
The humanitarian system was intentionally and systematically removed by the Israeli government’s blockade and restriction, and is now used to justify nearly every other aid operation in support of deadly, military control alternatives that neither protect civilians nor meet basic needs. These measures are designed to maintain a cycle of despair, danger and death. Experienced humanitarian actors are still ready to provide life-saving assistance on a large scale. Since Israeli authorities have created an almost complete blockade of aid and commercial goods, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has been more than 100 days faster than at any time in the past 20 months.
Under the new plan of the Israeli government, hungry and weak civilians were forced to trek through dangerous terrain and areas of active conflict for hours, facing only a violent, chaotic race to reach fenced, militarized allocated sites with a single entry point. There, thousands of people were released into chaotic fences to fight for a limited supply of food. These areas have become sites of repeated massacres that blatantly ignore international humanitarian law. The orphan children and caregivers were the dead, and children were injured in more than half of the attacks on civilians at these sites. As Gaza’s health care system fell into ruins, many of the shootings were left to bleed alone, beyond the ambulance and denying life-saving medical services.
In severe hunger and famine-like conditions, many families tell us that they are too weak to compete for food rations now. Those who manage to get food often have only a few basic items to return – cooking without clean water or fuel is nearly impossible to prepare. The fuel is almost exhausted, putting critical lifesaving services, including bakeries, water systems, ambulances and hospitals, to a standstill. Home shelter under plastic sheets, runs temporary kitchen in rubble without fuel, clean water, sanitation or electricity.
This is not a humanitarian reaction.
The opportunity to concentrate more than 2 million people in further restricted areas to feed their families is not a life-saving plan. Over 20 months, more than 2 million people have been subjected to ruthless bombing, weaponization of food, water and other aid, repeated forced displacement and system dehumanization – all under the supervision of the international community. The Sphere Association, which sets the minimum standards for high-quality humanitarian assistance, warns that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s approach does not adhere to core humanitarian standards and principles.
This normalization of pain must not be allowed. The state must reject the wrong choice between fatal, military-controlled food distribution and total refusal to aid. States must fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, including obligations to prohibit forced displacement, unselected attacks and obstruct humanitarian assistance. The state must ensure responsibility for serious violations of international law.
We, the signature organization, once again call on all third states:
- Take concrete measures to end the suffocating siege and safeguard the right of Gaza civilians to obtain assistance and protection.
- Donors are urged not to fund military assistance programs that violate international law, fail to comply with humanitarian principles, and deepen harm and risk complicity.
- Support the restoration of a unified, non-leadership coordination mechanism that meets people’s needs in international humanitarian law, including UNRWA, Palestinian civil society and the broader humanitarian community.
We reiterate our urgent call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and arbitrary detainees, large-scale humanitarian visits and the end of universal impunity, which has led to these atrocities and deny the basic dignity of the Palestinians.
Editor’s Note
- On June 15, the Red Cross Hospital in Al Mawasi injured at least 170 patients while trying to arrive at the food distribution site. The next day, on June 16, more than 200 patients arrived at the same facility – the highest number recorded in a massive casualty incident in Gaza. Of this number, 28 Palestinians were pronounced dead. WHO officials highlighted the deadly pattern: “Every time Actor Without Borders’ latest food release program results in massive casualties.”
- These deaths add to the wider loss: More than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, including at least 17,000 children.
Signing the Organization List:
ABCD Bethlehem, ACT Alliance, Act Church of Sweden, Action Against Hunger (ACF), Action Corps, ActionAid, Age International, Agricultural Development Association – PARC, Al Ard for Agricultural Development, Al-Najd Developmental Forum, American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International, Amos Trust, Anera, Anti-Slavery International, Arab Educational Institute – Pax Christi Bethlehem, Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz, Asociación de Solidaridad Internacional UNADIKUM, Association for Civil Rights Israel (ACRI), Association Switzerland Palestine, B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Beesan Charitable Association, Bimkom – Planning and Human Rights, Bisan Center for Research and Development, Botswana Watch Organisation, Breaking the Silence, Broederlijk Delen, CADUS eV, Caritas Germany, Caritas International Belgium, Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Jerusalem, Caritas Middle East and North Africa, Center of Jewish Nonviolence, CESIDA – Spanish Coordinator of HIV and AIDS., Children Not Numbers, Choose Love, Christian Aid, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), CIDSE – International Family of Catholic Social Justice Organisations, CNCD-11.11.11, codepink, Combatants for Peace, Comité de Solidaridad con la Causa Árabe, Congregations of St Joseph, COOPERATIVE AGRICULUTAL ASSOCIATION, Cordaid, Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), Coventry Friends of Palestine, Cultures of Resistance, DanChurchAid, Danish Refugee Council, DAWN, Diakonia, Ekō, Embrace the Middle East, Emmaüs International, Entraide et Fraternité, Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Justice Network, EuroMed Rights, FÓRUM DE POLÍTICA FEMINISTA, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), Fund for Global Human Rights, Fundación Mundubat, Gaza Culture and Development Group (GCDG), Gaza Society for Sustainable Agriculture and Friendly Environment (SAFE), German Platform of Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs (VENRO), Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, Glia, Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P), Greenpeace, HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual, Hands for Charity, HEKS/EPER(Swiss Church Aid), HelpAge International, Human Security Collective, Humanité Solidarité Médecine (HuSoMe ONG), Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International, Humanity Above All, INARA, Independent Catholic News, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), INTERSOS, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Jewish Network for Palestine, Jüdische Stimme für Demokratie und Gerechtigkeit in Israel/Palästina, JVJP, Just Foreign Policy, Just Treatment, Kairos Ireland, Kenya Human Rights Commission, Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, Martin Etxea Elkartea, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Médecins du Monde International Network, Médecins Sans Frontières, MedGlobal, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Medico International, medico international schweiz, Medicos sin fronteras (MSF – Spain), Mennonite Central Committee, Middle East Children’s Union, Mother Declaration, Muslim Aid Fund, Muslim Aid, Mwatana Human Rights, Nonviolent Peace Falls, Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian People’s Aid, Norwegian Easing Committee, Hovahostein Xerox Committee, oxfam International, Palestine Children Relief Foundation (PCRF), Palestine Children’s Litigation (PCRF), Palestine International Judicial Society (PRESTIAN), PRESTIAN CHAINICAIN (PALE) Detention, Palestine Partner, Progress Israel Partner, Parks, Parks Christy Australia, Parks Christy England and Wales, Parks Christy International, Italy Parks Christy, Parks Christy Munich, Parks Christy Scotland, Parks Christy Christy ti Christi Prak, American Peace, Switzerland, Peace Switzerland, Penny Francis, Canada Penny Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Pals Palestinian Judicial Initiative Kaktus, première international, Presbyterian Church (USA), Quixote Center, Quixote Center, Mary’s Religious Heart – Ngo’s Sacred Heart – Ngo’s Religious – Scotland (Can) and Peace in Peace, Save Children, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, Pity Sisters of America – Judicial Team, Solsok, Solsok, Stichting Heimat International Foundation, Stolds, Stolskin Flinningen Dansker Hosshoth Ipastina ipalæstina, Terre des Hommes International Union, Terre des Hommes Lausanne (EMPHNET), The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD UK), The Palestine Justice Network of the Presbyterian Church USA Bay Area, The Rights Forum, Union of Agricultural Work Committees-UAWC, United Against Inhumanity (UAI), Universities Allied for Essential Medicines UK, US-Lutheran Palestine Israel Justice Network, Vento di Terra, War Child Alliance, War on Want, Welthungerhilfe and Yesh Din.
