When Hunger Meets Gunfire: Over 700 Palestinians Die at Aid Sites

New data released by the Gaza Health Ministry reveals that over 700 Palestinians have lost their lives while attempting to collect food aid in the Gaza Strip over recent weeks, igniting sharp criticism of a highly contentious aid program backed by both the United States and Israel.

On Saturday, July 5, 2025, the ministry reported that at least 743 Palestinians were killed and nearly 4,900 others injured while trying to obtain assistance at distribution centers run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The GHF began operations in late May in the besieged enclave.

However, its efforts have been marred by repeated allegations that its contractors, alongside Israeli security forces, have opened fire on civilians queuing for aid.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza City, Hani Mahmoud, described the figures as a grim reflection of the dangers faced by Palestinians desperate for sustenance.

“The tragedy is that these numbers represent only a conservative estimate of casualties at these distribution points,” Mahmoud noted, underscoring the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

With severe shortages caused by Israel’s ongoing blockade, many Palestinian families face extreme hardship in feeding themselves.

“People are starving, rationing their supplies, and many families are forced to skip meals,” Mahmoud added. “Mothers are sacrificing their own food so their children can eat.”

Earlier this week, online media reports revealed testimonies from unnamed American contractors working at GHF sites.

They claimed that live ammunition and stun grenades had been used against Palestinian civilians seeking aid.

According to the report, heavily armed personnel appeared to operate with little restraint.

However, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has strongly denied these allegations, labeling the report as “categorically false.”

The organization emphasized its commitment to maintaining the safety and security of its distribution points.

The U.S. administration, under President Donald Trump, has consistently supported the GHF.

A State Department spokesperson defended the group on Wednesday, describing it as “the only entity that has succeeded in getting food and aid into the Gaza Strip.”

This backing was further demonstrated in late June when the Trump administration pledged $30 million in direct funding to the foundation.

On Saturday, the GHF confirmed that two American aid workers were injured at one of their distribution centers in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

This was after grenades were reportedly thrown at the site toward the end of a food distribution event.

The workers are reportedly receiving medical care and are in stable condition.

The perpetrators of the attack have not yet been identified.

Despite the apparent need for humanitarian assistance, many leading rights groups have called for the immediate shutdown of the GHF.

Critics argue that the organization’s model forces Gaza’s two million residents to gather in overcrowded, heavily militarized zones where they are exposed to constant gunfire and frequent casualties.

Amnesty International has condemned the operation as an “inhumane and deadly militarized scheme.”

The organization pointed to testimonies from victims and witnesses.

Testimonies that suggest the GHF is designed not merely as an aid provider but as a mechanism that serves to placate international concerns while perpetuating harm against the Palestinian population.

Still, with food, water, and essential supplies in critically short supply, many Palestinians feel they have no alternative but to rely on the GHF despite the risks involved.

Majid Abu Laban, a Palestinian man injured in one of the attacks at a GHF distribution site, told Al Jazeera that hunger forced him to visit the aid center.

“My children hadn’t eaten for three days, so I was compelled to go to the aid center,” Abu Laban said.

“We try everything to shield our children from hunger, but they are starving.”

He described the harrowing experience of traveling to an aid distribution point in Netzarim, an Israeli military-established corridor south of Gaza City. “I left at midnight, hoping to get some food,” he recounted.

“As crowds surged forward, Israeli forces opened fire with artillery shells. In the chaos, everyone was simply trying to survive.”

This harrowing testimony highlights the desperate conditions faced by Palestinians trapped in Gaza under an enduring blockade and caught amid ongoing conflict.

The recent casualty figures and eyewitness accounts have intensified calls from humanitarian organizations for urgent reevaluation of the aid delivery methods in the region.

As international observers grapple with the implications of these developments, the safety of civilians and the efficacy of aid programs in Gaza remain deeply contested and critical issues with profound human consequences.

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