Israel, we're begging you: please let aid organisations do our jobs in Gaza
Abed Al Rahman, just a boy, carried the weight of his family's hunger as he stepped into the streets of Gaza in search of bread. He had his father's money, but when he saw the tide of people pushing towards a food distribution site in Rafah, hunger pulled him into their flow.
Almost immediately, the site descended into chaos. Gunfire. Drones. Then in a flash, shrapnel from a tank shell ripped through his little body. When I met him at a hospital in Khan Younis – where painkillers, like food, are scarce – the 13-year-old was in agony. 'I have shrapnel inside my body that they couldn't remove,' he told me. 'I am in real pain; since 6am I have been asking for a painkiller.' As he recounted the chaos, his father's composure shattered, and tears rolled down his face. Was he going to lose his son simply because Abed Al Rahman wanted his family to eat?
Abed Al Rahman had been trying to get food from a new private and militarised distribution site in Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is funnelling aid through a handful of southern sites guarded by private contractors and Israeli soldiers. With so few distribution points, those who can make the trek are forced to travel long, dangerous distances – risking their lives for grossly inadequate amounts of supplies.
In the first week of the GHF's operation, there were five mass-casualty events in the vicinity of distribution sites as desperate civilians were met by gun and tank fire. Children have been killed. The UN's aid chief, Tom Fletcher, said the sites made 'starvation a bargaining chip' and were 'a fig leaf for further violence and displacement'. A system that bypasses the UN has, in fact, bypassed humanity. Indeed, politicised aid distribution is unsafe for everyone involved – last week, the GHF said eight of its local team members and volunteers had been killed.
And while it's critical that there is a focus on this lethal lack of aid for Palestinians, the daily killing and maiming of children has become an afterthought. This is my fifth mission to Gaza since the horrors of 7 October, and in all that time almost nothing has been done to stop the world's deadliest conflict for children in recent memory. There have been more than 50,000 children reported killed or injured in 20 months. Fifty thousand.
On the same morning I met Abed Al Rahman, I spoke with 24-year-old Sheima, also hospitalised. She, too, went to one of the GHF distribution sites. Different day, same story: her family was denied humanitarian aid for months. Consumed by hunger, her father too sick to travel, Sheima reached a site. Again, gunfire. Boxes of food thrown to the dirt. 'I saw dead bodies on the ground,' she told me. 'People stepping over them, just trying to get some food.' In the mayhem, Sheima became entangled in wire – her leg and arm torn open as she tried to flee. She didn't get any food. 'Even though I almost died, I would go again,' she said. 'I'm the eldest in my family – we need food to survive. I wish to die with a full stomach, not from starvation.'
These raw testimonials reinforce two critical questions. First, when UN and international non-governmental organisations warehouses outside Gaza are jam-packed with lifesaving supplies, why is there still a lethal lack of humanitarian aid in Gaza? And second, will these few sites run by private contractors solve the crisis?
On the first point, after a total blockade on all supplies going into Gaza from early March until 19 May, Unicef and the World Food Programme are now permitted to bring in limited quantities of only a few selected items. Meanwhile, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warned last month that all 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza are facing life-threatening food insecurity. Lack of access to clean water has been pushed to lethal levels.
Amid incessant bombardments, drastic aid restrictions and mass displacement of the civilian population, the risk of famine is not just possible, but increasingly likely for families in Gaza. From the end of the ceasefire to May this year, malnutrition admissions among children aged under five surged by nearly 150%, with a steep rise in severe cases. This isn't just a trend – it's an urgent warning.
And to the second question, can the GHF prevent famine? The reality is, far too little aid is being distributed from far too few distribution points, all amid concerns that families travelling from northern Gaza to reach sites in the south will not be allowed to return.
This is not how you avert famine. Before the collapse of the most recent ceasefire, the UN operated a highly effective aid delivery system in Gaza. And during the ceasefire, we were delivering assistance from more than 400 distribution points across the territory. Access to food, safe water, medicines and shelter skyrocketed. Unicef even went door-to-door to reach malnourished children.
Unicef continues to call for a ceasefire, protection of children, the release of hostages and full aid access. We know what it takes to deliver for children in emergencies – it is the same in every crisis and every conflict since the second world war. Children need nutritious food at scale, safety, clean water and dignity. Not security operators. Not indiscriminate fire. Not chaos.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel. We delivered aid at scale during the ceasefire, and we can do it again. We just need to be allowed to do our jobs.
Abed Al Rahman died of his injuries on 17 June 2025, after this article was written.
James Elder is Unicef's global spokesperson
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The Guardian
12 hours ago
- The Guardian
Israel, we're begging you: please let aid organisations do our jobs in Gaza
Abed Al Rahman, just a boy, carried the weight of his family's hunger as he stepped into the streets of Gaza in search of bread. He had his father's money, but when he saw the tide of people pushing towards a food distribution site in Rafah, hunger pulled him into their flow. Almost immediately, the site descended into chaos. Gunfire. Drones. Then in a flash, shrapnel from a tank shell ripped through his little body. When I met him at a hospital in Khan Younis – where painkillers, like food, are scarce – the 13-year-old was in agony. 'I have shrapnel inside my body that they couldn't remove,' he told me. 'I am in real pain; since 6am I have been asking for a painkiller.' As he recounted the chaos, his father's composure shattered, and tears rolled down his face. Was he going to lose his son simply because Abed Al Rahman wanted his family to eat? Abed Al Rahman had been trying to get food from a new private and militarised distribution site in Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is funnelling aid through a handful of southern sites guarded by private contractors and Israeli soldiers. With so few distribution points, those who can make the trek are forced to travel long, dangerous distances – risking their lives for grossly inadequate amounts of supplies. In the first week of the GHF's operation, there were five mass-casualty events in the vicinity of distribution sites as desperate civilians were met by gun and tank fire. Children have been killed. The UN's aid chief, Tom Fletcher, said the sites made 'starvation a bargaining chip' and were 'a fig leaf for further violence and displacement'. A system that bypasses the UN has, in fact, bypassed humanity. Indeed, politicised aid distribution is unsafe for everyone involved – last week, the GHF said eight of its local team members and volunteers had been killed. And while it's critical that there is a focus on this lethal lack of aid for Palestinians, the daily killing and maiming of children has become an afterthought. This is my fifth mission to Gaza since the horrors of 7 October, and in all that time almost nothing has been done to stop the world's deadliest conflict for children in recent memory. There have been more than 50,000 children reported killed or injured in 20 months. Fifty thousand. On the same morning I met Abed Al Rahman, I spoke with 24-year-old Sheima, also hospitalised. She, too, went to one of the GHF distribution sites. Different day, same story: her family was denied humanitarian aid for months. Consumed by hunger, her father too sick to travel, Sheima reached a site. Again, gunfire. Boxes of food thrown to the dirt. 'I saw dead bodies on the ground,' she told me. 'People stepping over them, just trying to get some food.' In the mayhem, Sheima became entangled in wire – her leg and arm torn open as she tried to flee. She didn't get any food. 'Even though I almost died, I would go again,' she said. 'I'm the eldest in my family – we need food to survive. I wish to die with a full stomach, not from starvation.' These raw testimonials reinforce two critical questions. First, when UN and international non-governmental organisations warehouses outside Gaza are jam-packed with lifesaving supplies, why is there still a lethal lack of humanitarian aid in Gaza? And second, will these few sites run by private contractors solve the crisis? On the first point, after a total blockade on all supplies going into Gaza from early March until 19 May, Unicef and the World Food Programme are now permitted to bring in limited quantities of only a few selected items. Meanwhile, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warned last month that all 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza are facing life-threatening food insecurity. Lack of access to clean water has been pushed to lethal levels. Amid incessant bombardments, drastic aid restrictions and mass displacement of the civilian population, the risk of famine is not just possible, but increasingly likely for families in Gaza. From the end of the ceasefire to May this year, malnutrition admissions among children aged under five surged by nearly 150%, with a steep rise in severe cases. This isn't just a trend – it's an urgent warning. And to the second question, can the GHF prevent famine? The reality is, far too little aid is being distributed from far too few distribution points, all amid concerns that families travelling from northern Gaza to reach sites in the south will not be allowed to return. This is not how you avert famine. Before the collapse of the most recent ceasefire, the UN operated a highly effective aid delivery system in Gaza. And during the ceasefire, we were delivering assistance from more than 400 distribution points across the territory. Access to food, safe water, medicines and shelter skyrocketed. Unicef even went door-to-door to reach malnourished children. Unicef continues to call for a ceasefire, protection of children, the release of hostages and full aid access. We know what it takes to deliver for children in emergencies – it is the same in every crisis and every conflict since the second world war. Children need nutritious food at scale, safety, clean water and dignity. Not security operators. Not indiscriminate fire. Not chaos. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. We delivered aid at scale during the ceasefire, and we can do it again. We just need to be allowed to do our jobs. Abed Al Rahman died of his injuries on 17 June 2025, after this article was written. James Elder is Unicef's global spokesperson
Sky News
a day ago
- Sky News
IDF does not 'deliberately target hospitals', says former Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz
A former Israeli defence minister has told Sky News it is "absolutely not true" that the country's military deliberately targets hospitals. In an interview with Yalda Hakim, Benny Gantz - who quit Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet last year - also said he has "nothing against" the people of Iran or Gaza. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said at least 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed. A total of 917 healthcare workers in medical facilities have been killed, the WHO said last month. Asked about the figures, and if the Israeli military deliberately targets healthcare buildings, Mr Gantz replied: "This is absolutely not true." He said that when the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) targeted al Shifa hospital in Gaza earlier in the war, it "did everything in our capacity to ensure nobody was getting hurt". Mr Gantz continued: "Those hospitals are a coverage, they are being used by Hamas to put all their infrastructure under those hospitals, underneath those schools. "We alert them and evacuate it, then we do what we have to do. We do not deliberately go and hit a hospital just because it's a hospital. There's no way we're doing it." 27:55 The Israelis' military action in Gaza began after Hamas's attacks on 7 October 2023. Israel last week started launching airstrikes on targets in Iran as tensions between the countries escalated. Describing himself as a "man of peace", Mr Gantz said: "I have nothing against the people of Iran as much as I don't have anything against the people of Gaza. "I do hope that one day they can live with something they can live with and we can live beside. "Until then, we must continue to operate to free our hostages, to make sure that Hamas is not threatening is anyone and we can move forward." He said of Israel's military action: "Yes we are fighting for own security [..] but aren't we serving strategically the region? Aren't we serving strategically the global society?" His comments came after an Israeli airstrike on a camp in north Gaza killed a total of 19 people on Thursday, according to the director of al Shifa hospital. They included three children and five women, Mohamed Abu Selmiyah said. Since the war began in October 2023, a total of 55,706 people have been killed Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has said.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Dozens more people killed or injured seeking desperately needed aid in Gaza
Dozens more Palestinians were killed or injured in Gaza as they sought desperately needed aid on Thursday, with reports that Israeli forces close to one distribution point had opened fire in the third such incident in as many days. More than a hundred people have been reported killed since Monday while trying either to reach aid points or waiting to stop and offload the limited number of UN and commercial trucks entering the devastated territory. There have been about 20 such incidents in the last four weeks. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire had killed 15 people and wounded 60 between the town of Nuseirat and in the centre of Gaza early on Thursday morning after thousands had gathered in the hope of receiving rations. Such reports are difficult to confirm independently, but interviews conducted by the Guardian with witnesses appear to corroborate many of the details. Abdullah Ahmed, 31, said he had been around a kilometre from an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US and Israeli-backed private organisation, when there had been a series of explosions and shootings at around 2am local time. 'I heard that the GHF site would open in the morning and set out early from my home [in the nearby town of al-Bureij] to get food. 'Because there are always many people, we try to be the first to increase our chances of getting aid. When I was heading to the aid distribution point, there was heavy but intermittent gunfire from tanks, artillery and quadcopters,' he said. 'As we got closer to the site, gunfire resumed and shells were launched. A shell fell just a few metres away from me, and shrapnel hit me in my chest, neck and leg.' Abdel Fattah Younis, 20, from Nuseirat said the shooting or shelling occurred when crowds had surged towards the GHF site in the belief that it had opened to distribute aid. 'We moved toward it, and we became fully exposed … Suddenly, intense gunfire was directed at us … I was shot once in the chest, and another bullet lodged in my lower back,' he said. Dr Nasser Abu Samra, the head of the emergency reception department at al-Awda hospital, said it had received nine dead and 120 injured from the incident. The Israeli army told Agence France-Presse that troops had fired 'warning shots' at 'suspects' approaching them in the Netzarim area, but that it was 'not aware of any injured individuals'. The reported incident came on a particularly bloody day in Gaza, with about 60 people also reported killed in a wave of airstrikes. Food has become extremely scarce in Gaza since Israel's imposition of a tight blockade on all supplies throughout March and April, leaving many of the territory's inhabitants facing a 'critical risk of famine'. Since the blockade was partially lifted last month, the UN has tried to bring in aid but has faced major obstacles, including rubble-choked roads, Israeli military restrictions, continuing airstrikes and growing anarchy. Aid officials said an average of 23 UN trucks a day had entered Gaza through the main checkpoint of Kerem Shalom in recent days, but most have been 'self-distributed' by hungry Palestinians who stopped them, or looted by organised gangs. The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that it has been able to dispatch just 9,000 metric tonnes of food aid into Gaza over the last four weeks, 'a tiny fraction of what a population of 2.1 million hungry people needs'. Israel hopes the GHF will replace the previous comprehensive system of aid distribution run by the UN, which Israeli officials claim allowed Hamas to steal and sell supplies. UN agencies and major aid groups, which have delivered humanitarian aid across Gaza since the start of 20-month-long war, have rejected the new system, saying it is impractical, inadequate and unethical. They deny there is widespread theft of aid by Hamas. GHF said in an email on Wednesday that it had provided more than 30 million meals 'safely and without incident' since it began operating last month. Israel launched its campaign intended to destroy Hamas after the group's 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. Hamas still holds 53 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday that 5,194 people had been killed since Israel resumed major operations in the territory on 18 March, ending a two-month truce. The death toll in Gaza since the war broke out has reached 55,600, according to the health ministry.
