US-backed Gaza group suspends aid for a day over threats, Hamas vows to protect UN aid

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

June 7, 2025 7:44 PM EDT Updated 10 hours ago


JERUSALEM/CAIRO, June 7 (Reuters) - A controversial humanitarian organization backed by the United States and Israel did not distribute any food aid on Saturday, accusing Hamas of making threats that "made it impossible" to operate in the enclave, which the Palestinian militants denied.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which uses private U.S. security and logistics firms to operate, said it was adapting operations to overcome the unspecified threats. It later said in a Facebook post that two sites would reopen on Sunday. A Hamas official told Reuters he had no knowledge of such "alleged threats."

The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said later on Saturday that GHF operation has "utterly failed on all levels" and that Hamas was ready to help secure aid deliveries by a separate long-running U.N-led humanitarian operation. Hamas also called on all Palestinians to protect humanitarian convoys.

Israel and the United States have accused Hamas of stealing aid from the U.N.-led operations, which the militants deny. A Hamas source said the group's armed wing would deploy some snipers from Sunday near routes used by the U.N.-led aid operation to prevent armed gangs looting food shipments. The U.N. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/israeli-military-retrieves-body-thai-hostage-gaza-defence-minister-says-2025-06-07/

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Six killed by Israeli gunfire near Gaza aid site, Hamas officials say

Six Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded by Israeli gunfire in the latest deadly incident close to an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza, the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency says.

People had gathered to collect food supplies on Saturday morning when the shooting started, a spokesman for the agency said. Reports quoting an eyewitness said the Israelis opened fire when people tried to advance towards the site.

The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at suspects who approached them in a threatening manner.
...
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they had told Gazans the area was an active combat zone during nighttime hours.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5evz4xdklo

Not sure how they expect the Palestinians to get to the site, if they can't start during the night, since everyone has to go to just 4 sites, so most will approach from a considerable distance, and the sites are first come first serve, first thing in daylight.

[AloeVera]

4. It's almost as if everything is deliberately planned to be as dangerous and un-humanitarian as possible.

See my post.

GHF and its masters Israel and the US have more blood on their hands. This must be stopped.

Edited to add:
Didn't the IDF a few days ago designate the ROADS leading to the aid centres as active combat zones? But if the aid centres are actually located IN active combat zones - contrary to humanitarian principles - then people have to risk their lives to get aid. It's using food as bait, aka death trap.

[Beastly Boy]

6. Six people killed in an active war zone.

Hamas officials say they were killed by Israeli gun fire. Hamas officials say nothing else.

No other information given by any other sources.

What better time to make ridiculous insinuations and whip up performative outrage?

[Beastly Boy]

7. Hamas-run Civil Defence agency says? BBC must be kidding!

Gaza's civil defense spokesman is a Hamas terrorist, documents found by IDF show

Mahmoud Bassal, the spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, who has issued hundreds of statements to international media since the war began, is an active Hamas operative, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday—611 days after the October 7 massacre.

According to the IDF, Bassal has abused his role by spreading false and unverified information to the international media, while falsely attributing war crimes to Israel and by presenting fabricated data. This information receives global media exposure, including in Israeli media, often fueling sharp criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

The IDF said that, following an analysis of documents found during operational activity in the Gaza Strip, it became clear that Bassal is a member of Hamas. The military added that he serves a propaganda and psychological warfare function under the guise of a civilian organization.

“Bassal’s materials receive global media exposure and has caused a severe distortion of the reality on the ground,” the IDF said in a statement, noting that the documents include records of Bassal’s recruitment into Hamas’ military apparatus and lists identifying him as a member of the terror group. The IDF warned media outlets to “exercise caution regarding unverified information published by the Hamas terrorist organization and, in particular, by Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip.”

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hj7sxrfmxx

[Beastly Boy]

2. Hamas is a terrorist group and the biggest criminal gang in Gaza.

[AloeVera]

3. Israel must be made to allow the UN and other aid agencies to distribute the hundreds of trucks of aid waiting.

People are going to start dying in droves. May be happening already, as GHF has only fed 10-15% of the population so far. It also limits aid to food - so no water, fuel, medicine. Without clean water and fuel the dehydrated and dry food is useless.

GHF is the brainchild of Israelis tied to Netanyahu's office. Its humanitarian chief - hired for the veneer of legitimacy, albeit temporary - quit when he realized the whole thing was a sham and a scam. Now it's run by an Evangelical Minister and Trump advisor. Its US consulting agency has now quit too, after firing two senior employees engaged in unauthorized and unsavoury activities its own employees described as aiding forced displacement and ethnic cleansing.

The "Hamas steals aid - denied by aid agencies on the ground - was used to sideline the UN and established agencies. Now this "Hamas is threatening" allegation also plays into some nefarious agenda. While as we have seen the only threat to Palestinian aid-seekers is the trigger-happy IDF whose soldiers feel "threatened" by unarmed starving people and shoot "at" or "towards" them - but of course responsibility for the slaughter is denied and projected. So the next time the IDF gets scared or trigger-happy - and they know it will happen - there is a ready-made excuse.

It's almost as if everything is being done to ensure maximum suffering and continuation of the starvation.

Then, when it can no longer be denied, there will be an "urgent" appeal to countries of the world - especially neighbouring Egypt - to be "humanitarian" and take in the starving Palestinians.

Truly, jaw-droppingly inhumane. The only way to stop this is through immediate sanctions and other forms of coercion to get the aid in through the real humanitarians.

[Beastly Boy]

5. With Hamas' newly issued pledge to "protect" the UN convoys,

I am sure there will be no shortages of food in Gaza

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Another 5 killed, on Sunday

At least five killed by Israeli fire near Gaza food point, officials say

Witnesses said Sunday’s shooting in southern Gaza occurred at about 6am, when they had been told the site would open. Many had headed towards it early to try to get desperately needed food before the crowds. The military had announced on Friday that the sites would be open from 6am and that the area would be a closed military zone from 6pm until 6am.
...
Adham Dahman, 30, who was at Nasser hospital with a bandage on his chin, told Associated Press that a tank had fired in their direction. “We didn’t know how to escape,” he said. “This is trap for us, not aid.”

Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him had been shot in the head. He said he and others had pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital.
...
Sanaa Doghmah told Reuters that her husband, Khaled, 36, was fatally shot in the head while trying to reach a distribution site in Rafah to collect food for their five children.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/08/shooting-rafah-gaza-food-distribution-point-ghf

[AloeVera]

9. Are people expected to parachute into the aid centre?

This is beyond insane.

So if the area around the centres is closed from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and people know the centres open at 6 a.m. - it's really just a trap to start shooting at people desparate to be the first in line. The centres run out of food early and that news has gotten around.

If they were serious about people getting aid safely, they would allow for time for people to get to the centres safely before opening.

[Beastly Boy]

10. People will certainly be discouraged from running through an active war zone until their access to aid center is secured

Doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure that. How is this rudimentary precaution "beyond insane"? Hell, how is it anything but absolutely necessary?

[Beastly Boy]

11. "Officials say"

Apparently, they say different things to Reuters and AP from what they say to Guardian.

[mdbl]

12. Yes because Hamas has proven so reliable