On Tuesday, over 170 non-governmental organizations called for the dismantling of a U.S.- and Israeli-supported aid distribution system in Gaza, citing that it endangers civilians and has led to numerous deaths and injuries. According to Gaza's health officials, more than 500 people have died in mass shootings around aid delivery points or along routes secured by Israeli forces since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations in late May. The GHF, working through private American security and logistics firms, bypasses the traditional UN-managed system, which Israel claims has allowed aid to be diverted by militants. However, the UN has criticized the new approach, calling it unsafe and inconsistent with humanitarian neutrality principles.

By Tuesday afternoon in Geneva, where a joint declaration was released, 171 organizations had signed a statement urging governments to pressure Israel to stop the GHF operation and return to the UN-led distribution framework. The statement highlighted the desperate situation for Palestinians, who must choose between starvation and risking their lives to obtain food. Notable organizations such as Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Amnesty International backed the call.

In its response to Reuters, the GHF claimed it had provided over 52 million meals in five weeks and argued that other aid efforts had been largely looted. The organization invited other humanitarian groups to collaborate instead of criticizing from the sidelines. During a press briefing, Doctors Without Borders said two of their small clinics had received 22 dead and 548 injured individuals in just one month, with fatalities resulting from gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. MSF’s emergency coordinator Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa stated these were not warning shots but were intentionally aimed at civilians.

Rachel Cummings from Save the Children reported that children made up a significant portion of those killed near food distribution areas—over half of the mass casualty incidents involved child victims. She added that many children have expressed a desire to die and be reunited with deceased family members in paradise, where they believe food and water are available. The Israeli military acknowledged that civilians had been harmed at aid sites and stated that new guidelines were issued after internal reviews. Israel maintains its forces are deployed near distribution centers to prevent aid from being seized by Hamas militants.