Gaza, MINA – The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has demanded the immediate cessation of operations by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israel-backed US aid group operating in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Lazzarini criticized the GHF for exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stating that its efforts have resulted in more harm than help to the civilian population.
Since the foundation began distributing aid on May 27, 2025, Lazzarini reports that at least 500 Gazans have been killed by starvation, and nearly 4,000 more have been injured while desperately attempting to access food.
The UNRWA Commissioner-General condemned the GHF for reducing the number of aid distribution points in Gaza from 400 to just four, all of which are heavily militarized and difficult to access.
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Lazzarini called on the United Nations to take over the aid distribution process, citing the need for a unified, international approach that adheres to humanitarian law. “Gaza’s civilian population needs aid and protection, not further militarization,” Lazzarini stated on his official X account.
The UNRWA chief’s statements were echoed by over 170 international NGOs, including Oxfam, Amnesty International, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), who have condemned the GHF’s operations as a violation of international humanitarian standards. These organizations have called for the restoration of UN-led aid coordination in Gaza, ensuring equitable and safe distribution of resources to those in need.
Humanitarian organizations argue that the GHF’s operations have subjected civilians to even greater risks, forcing them to endure dangerous journeys through conflict zones to access a single, overcrowded distribution point. These sites, often surrounded by fences and heavily guarded, create chaotic and violent conditions where the most vulnerable populations are further endangered.
The worsening situation in Gaza follows months of intense conflict. Since Israel launched its large-scale offensive in October 2023, more than 56,500 Palestinians have been killed. Despite widespread calls for a ceasefire, the violence continues, with international organizations pressing for immediate action to stop the bloodshed. []
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