International non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) on the 1st accused Israel of committing war crimes and violating international law, citing reasons including the Israeli military opening fire near aid distribution points in Gaza causing casualties, as well as the systematic deprivation of food, aid, and other basic necessities.
According to a report by ABC News cited by the Central News Agency, Human Rights Watch stated that since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations at the end of May, several major incidents causing mass casualties have already occurred at four of its current sites. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is an entity supported and established by the United States and Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in a statement responding to Human Rights Watch, said they allow the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to operate “independently” in distributing aid materials, and that IDF units only operate in “nearby areas” to ensure the orderly distribution of food.
After Israel earlier this year implemented an 11-week complete blockade, banning all humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip, supplies entering Gaza are now resuming slowly. According to the United Nations and multiple aid organizations, Israel’s earlier blockade led to widespread malnutrition in Gaza and could trigger famine; Israeli officials have always accused Hamas of stealing aid supplies.
Human Rights Watch called on all countries to pressure Israel to stop using lethal force to control crowds, lift restrictions on bringing aid supplies into Gaza, and halt the operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation set up by the US and Israel.