United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the new system of aid distribution in Gaza was “inherently unsafe” and “killing people.”
Thousands of Palestinians line up nearly every day to get food under the .
GHF, backed by Israel and the United States, launched operations in mid-May. But it has faced criticism with the UN saying that it was a way for Israeli forces to use food as a weapon.
More than 400 Palestinians have been killed so far while seeking aid from GHF sites, according to the UN.
GHF and other NGOs, since Israeli forces have pushed for the alternative system that they say stops Hamas from seizing aid.
Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and other countries, denies the accusation. The UN has also denied that the group has diverted large amounts of aid.
Israel has vowed to control Gaza and fight until Hamas is destroyed, and until the group returns the remaining 50 hostages, not all of whom are thought to still be alive, it seized during the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.
Search for food must never be a death sentence: Guterres
Guterres told reporters that the UN-led humanitarian efforts in Gaza are being “strangled” and aid workers themselves are starving. He also said Israel is required to facilitate aid deliveries into and through the Palestinian territory.
“People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence,” Guterres told reporters. “It is time to find the political courage for a ceasefire in Gaza.”
In response to questions about previous incidents, the Israeli military often said troops had fired warning shots over the heads of people to get them to move. It has also said it is reviewing various cases but has yet to publish its findings.
Israel’s left-leaning Haaretz newspaper on Friday reported that Israel’s Military Advocate General ordered an investigation into possible war crimes over allegations that Israeli forces deliberately fired at Palestinian civilians near aid distribution sites.
GHF says no deaths near aid distribution sites
A GHF spokesperson said there have been no deaths at or near any of the GHF aid distribution sites, Reuters news agency reported.
“It is unfortunate the U.N. continues to push false information regarding our operations,” the GHF spokesperson said. “Bottom line, our aid is getting securely delivered. Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome the UN and other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza.”
Trump says Gaza ceasefire ‘close’
Also on Friday, US President Donald Trump was asked whether a ceasefire in Gaza would follow, to which Trump said: “It’s close.”
“We think within the next week we’re going to get a ceasefire,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“We’re working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of,” Trump added.
Qatar, which has been a lead mediator in ceasefire and hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, said talks were ongoing.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
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