In a new op-ed in Dutch newspaper NRC, Professor Thea Hilhorst (ISS) and Kate Mackintosh (UCLA Law Promise Institute Europe) raise urgent concerns about the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), a newly established aid organization backed by the US and Israel.
The UN estimates that more than 400 unarmed civilians have been shot by the Israeli military while waiting for food at GHF distribution points.
Hilhorst and Mackintosh cite these figures, along with reporting by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, to suggest that the shootings may not be isolated incidents. They question whether GHF’s continued operations, despite foreseeable risks, violate humanitarian principles and risk crossing into legal complicity.
The authors argue that humanitarian organizations must halt aid efforts that endanger lives, even unintentionally. With over 170 aid groups in Gaza already distancing themselves from GHF, the op-ed calls for an independent investigation and a reassessment of the organisation’s role.
The op-ed is available in Dutch and through paid subscription.
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