DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip. A U.S.-backed group announced on Monday that it has begun delivering food to Palestinians in Gaza through a newly launched aid system, despite growing tensions and objections from the United Nations.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it has established distribution hubs to deliver food to residents facing severe hunger following Israel’s nearly three-month blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas. The group, composed of former humanitarian, government, and military officials, did not disclose the number of trucks used or the locations of the hubs.
“More trucks with aid will be delivered tomorrow, with the flow of aid increasing each day,” the foundation stated. The organization aims to reach one million people, about half of Gaza’s population, by the end of the week. Aid distribution is being protected by private security firms, the group said.
The announcement came on a day marked by intensified violence, as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 52 Palestinians, including 36 people in a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City’s Daraj neighborhood, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command center allegedly operating from within the school.
Fahmy Awad, head of the emergency services at the Gaza Health Ministry, said the school was struck three times while civilians were sleeping, igniting fires and killing an entire family, including a father and his five children. A separate airstrike in Jabalya reportedly killed 16 people from one family.
The foundation’s operations began just one day after its executive director, Jake Wood, resigned, citing concerns about its lack of independence. The group is now led by interim director John Acree. It remains unclear who is funding the organization.
The U.N. and international aid groups have raised alarm over the new system, accusing Israel of using food as a weapon and warning that an alternative delivery plan will not meet humanitarian needs. Israel has denied claims that Hamas has diverted significant quantities of aid but maintains that a new approach is needed to prevent misuse.
Meanwhile, Hamas warned Palestinians against cooperating with the new aid system, alleging it is part of Israel’s effort to force the displacement of Gaza’s population.
The ongoing conflict, which escalated following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and led to the abduction of 251 hostages, has devastated Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that approximately 54,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s retaliatory offensive, with more than half of the casualties being women and children. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
In Jerusalem, ultranationalist Israelis staged an annual march celebrating Israel’s 1967 conquest of East Jerusalem. Some participants shouted anti-Arab slogans and stormed a United Nations compound, which has been mostly unoccupied since January due to security threats. The U.N. reiterated that the site is protected under international law.
As Gaza faces a growing humanitarian catastrophe, international efforts to ensure effective and impartial aid delivery remain fraught with political tension and violence.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
