Deaths Reported as Chaos Engulfs WFP Warehouse in Gaza

Latest Developments

2 Palestinians Killed at WFP Warehouse: Two people were reportedly killed and several others injured when thousands of Gazans stormed one of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) supply warehouses in central Gaza on May 28. The WFP said that it was still verifying the details of the incident but emphasized that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had “spiraled out of control.” Separately, Israel’s Coordination of Government Affairs in the Territories unit reported that 121 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza on Wednesday following inspections.
GHF Provides Operational Update: The U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) reported that it had distributed over 1.8 million meals to civilians in Gaza as of May 29. The organization, which aims to bypass traditional delivery mechanisms to prevent Hamas from hoarding aid, stated that three Safe Distribution Sites (SDSs) out of four “were fully operational” and that 997,920 meals were handed out on May 29 alone. GHF said that operations will continue and scale across all four initial SDSs and that the organization would be building “additional sites across Gaza, including in the northern region, in the weeks ahead.”
U.S. Backs GHF Aid Plan at UN: The United States voiced support for the GHF’s aid distribution plan at a UN Security Council briefing on May 28. Acting U.S. Alternate Representative John Kelly said the United States supports “getting assistance to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not allow Hamas to benefit.” He further implored the United Nations to “work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and Israel to reach agreements on how to operationalize this system in a way that works for all. One that provides the opportunities to deliver aid directly to civilians without diversion by Hamas and other terrorist and criminal groups.” However, several UN-backed aid organizations stated in early May that they would not participate in the GHF-led plan.

FDD Expert Response

“While the newly established aid mechanism is experiencing initial challenges, it is succeeding in delivering humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. Yet both Hamas and the United Nations have voiced criticism of the mechanism. This alignment highlights a striking contradiction: both actors are united in opposing a process that is delivering aid to Palestinian civilians. The irony lies in the fact that both are effectively protesting about the very outcome they claim to support: the provision of aid to the Palestinian people.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Intense criticism was levied at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation this week over crowds in Gaza surrounding its aid distribution center in Rafah. This crowding caused several injuries, but no life-threatening incidents were reported. Meanwhile, Gazans continue to face harm at UN aid facilities, with two deaths reported at a WFP warehouse in a much more serious incident. While the GHF will undergo growing pains in delivering aid within Gaza, at a bare minimum, it is not starting from a place of outright collusion with a terrorist organization like Hamas. The United Nations will need to form a working relationship with the foundation or risk falling into irrelevancy in Gaza.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Congressional Relations at FDD Action

“The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation should proceed with caution with any expansion of its operations into northern Gaza. Fighting between the IDF and Hamas is ongoing in areas where Israel does not maintain the same level of control it has in Rafah and southern areas of the strip. The closer the GHF operates to these active conflict zones, the greater the risk that Hamas could disrupt — or even attack — newly established Safe Distribution Sites.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor