Aid Workers Say GHF Staff Fired on Palestinians During Food Distribution

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several Palestinians were reportedly shot and injured while trying to receive food aid, according to two American aid workers with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The workers claimed that their colleagues regularly used force at distribution sites.

Residents Shot While Seeking Food

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), the two aid workers described witnessing security staff firing live rounds, using stun grenades, and spraying pepper spray at crowds of Palestinians scrambling for food. “There are innocent people being hurt. Badly. Needlessly,” said one of the workers, who spoke anonymously, as quoted by Politico.

They said many of the security personnel were unqualified, had not gone through proper screening, and often acted independently while fully armed. The workers also noted that American staff on the ground would monitor and film food seekers, then share footage of those deemed suspicious with the Israeli military.

Video evidence shared by the workers showed large crowds of Palestinians packed between metal fences, accompanied by the sound of gunfire and explosions.

“We have come here to get food for our families. We have nothing,” one of the workers recalled residents saying. “Why does the [Israeli] army shoot at us? Why do you shoot at us?”

GHF Denies Serious Injuries

In response, a spokesperson for Safe Reach Solutions, the logistics company contracted by GHF, stated that no serious injuries occurred. He acknowledged that in some instances, security personnel fired bullets into the ground and away from civilians to draw attention.

“That happened in the early days at the height of desperation where crowd control measures were necessary for the safety and security of civilians,” he said, as quoted by Politico.

On the ground, he added, food aid distribution is often chaotic, with armed groups looting trucks and desperate crowds overrunning them before arrival.

Earlier in July, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported at least 51 people killed and 200 injured while waiting for aid. In response to media coverage, GHF released a statement, quoted by NBC News, saying it had launched an internal investigation, including video reviews.

GHF also questioned the reliability of the reports and announced plans for legal action against AP.

Founded in February 2025 and based in the United States, GHF claims to have delivered over 50 million meals to Gaza. Despite branding itself as a humanitarian relief group, the organization operates with high secrecy in areas under Israeli military control.

Editor's Choice: List of Companies Complicit in Israel's Genocide in Palestine: UN Report

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

List of Companies Complicit in Israel's Genocide in Palestine: UN Report

1 jam lalu

Government Honors Late Indonesian Hospital Director Killed in Gaza

4 jam lalu

Hamas Weighs New Ceasefire Offer, Urges End to Gaza War

5 jam lalu

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: "Dark Mission" of U.S. and Israel in Gaza

8 jam lalu

No Ceasefire with Israel, Says Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia

12 jam lalu

Israel's Gaza Genocide Among the Cruelest in History, Says UN Rapporteur

12 jam lalu

Government to Review Safety of Indonesian Hospital Medical Staff in Gaza

1 hari lalu

U.S. Backs Israel as Likud Ministers Call for West Bank Annexation

1 hari lalu

Will Gaza Ceasefire Truly Hold?

1 hari lalu

Prabowo, Saudi Crown Prince MBS Decry Forced Displacement of Palestinians

1 hari lalu