The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the United States- and Israel-backed organisation established to supplant the aid work of the United Nations, has accused Hamas fighters of killing eight of its staff and wounding multiple others in an attack on a bus en route to a food distribution centre.
The bus, carrying more than two dozen Palestinians working with the organisation, was “brutally attacked” on Wednesday night while travelling to a distribution centre west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the foundation said in a statement.
“As of now, we can confirm at least eight fatalities, multiple injuries, and we fear that some of our team members have been taken hostage,” the GHF said on Thursday.
GHF’s interim director, John Acree, said his organisation had considered closing its centres on Thursday after the bus attack but opted to remain open.
“We decided that the best response to Hamas’ cowardly murderers was to keep delivering food for the people of Gaza who are counting on us,” he said in a statement.
Hamas, which governs Gaza, did not immediately comment on the claims.
The GHF, which is led by Johnnie Moore, an evangelical Christian who advised US President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, has been mired in controversy since beginning operations on May 27.
The UN and aid groups have boycotted the foundation over concerns that it does not meet basic humanitarian standards and is not independent of Israel.
Numerous Israeli attacks on Palestinians have taken place near the foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor.
On Wednesday, 57 people were killed and more than 363 injured as they tried to access aid at the sites, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said.
More than 220 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid since the foundation began operations, according to Gaza health authorities.
In its statement, the foundation, which on Saturday reported that it had been unable to distribute aid due to Hamas threats, said the attack on its team “did not happen in a vacuum”.
“For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers, and the civilians who receive aid from us. These threats were met with silence,” the foundation said.
“Tonight the world must see this for what it is: an attack on humanity,” the foundation added. “We call on the international community to immediately condemn Hamas for this unprovoked attack and continued threat against our people simply trying to feed the Palestinian people.”
