Germany criticises Gaza aid distribution via US-, Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

The German government has raised concerns over the effectiveness and neutrality of aid distribution in the Gaza Strip by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a newly established mechanism supported by Israel and the United States.

“In the view of the German government, it is now obvious that [the GHF’s new distribution mechanism] does not reach the civilian population to a sufficient extent and does not operate in accordance with humanitarian principles,” the Foreign Office in Berlin said in response to a query from the Greens parliamentary group, according to the German news agency, DPA.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating in late May, months into Israel’s blockade of the coastal enclave and a near-total cut-off of humanitarian assistance. The foundation, with Israeli and US support, manages the distribution of food aid through a limited number of distribution centers across Gaza.

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However, this new mechanism has come under growing scrutiny following repeated reports of deadly violence around these centers. Numerous incidents of gunfire have occurred near distribution points, resulting in the deaths of many Palestinians attempting to access food aid. These reports, including those by UN agencies, point to the Israeli military as being responsible for the shootings.

According to the United Nations, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the vicinity of aid distribution points since the end of May.

Germany’s statement adds to mounting international criticism over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where access to food, medical aid, and basic services remains severely restricted amid ongoing Israeli military operations.

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