On July 16, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) issued a statement blaming Hamas affiliates for causing a crowd crush at an aid distribution site in Khan Younis that killed 19 Palestinians. During the same incident, a Palestinian was stabbed to death by an unknown assailant. The deadly event follows a pattern of violence directed at GHF sites and its personnel by Hamas and its affiliates.
“We are heartbroken to confirm that 20 people died this morning in a tragic incident at SDS3 in Khan Younis. Our current understanding is that 19 of the victims were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge, driven by agitators in the crowd. We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd – armed and affiliated with Hamas – deliberately fomented the unrest. For the first time since operations began, GHF personnel identified multiple firearms in the crowd, one of which was confiscated. An American worker was also threatened with a firearm by a member of the crowd during the incident,” the GHF said in a statement on its website.
In a related incident, the GHF said that an American medic employed by the nonprofit was wounded by a Hamas affiliate at the site of the trampling. The organization noted that aid seekers warned the medic of an individual armed with a pistol. The medic located the suspect, who had been previously identified by security personnel as a Hamas affiliate, attempted to tackle him, and, in the process, was stabbed by a second Hamas associate. The medic suffered puncture wounds and possibly broke ribs. Both suspects escaped the scene.
“This was not an isolated incident. It’s part of a clear and escalating pattern. Hamas has made it clear that ending GHF’s presence in Gaza is a top priority, and they are using every tool they have to undermine our operations. In recent weeks, we’ve seen repeated threats against our workers, disinformation aimed at aid seekers, and violent provocations around our sites. But we will not be deterred. Our mission is more critical now than ever, especially as the UN and other aid groups continue to face looting and diversion that prevent their convoys from reaching those in need,” GHF Spokesperson Chapin Fay told FDD’s The Long War Journal.
The GHF has been under threat by Hamas and its affiliates since the nonprofit launched Gaza operations on May 27. On July 5, both Israel and the US blamed Hamas for carrying out a grenade attack at a distribution site in Khan Younis that injured two American GHF personnel.
On June 28, the GHF stated that there were “credible” reports that Hamas had placed bounties on aid workers, including American personnel. The GHF also accused Hamas of positioning its members near aid distribution sites to undermine operations.
In a deadly incident that occurred on June 11, 12 members of the GHF’s local workforce were murdered by Hamas on their way to a distribution site, according to the GHF.
Hamas has not claimed responsibility for today’s incident at the GHF site nor any of the previous attacks targeting the nonprofit. Nevertheless, Hamas remains the primary suspect behind the repeated acts of violence that have targeted GHF sites and its personnel.
