How the GHF became sites of killing and humiliation for Palestinian women in Gaza
“These aid distributions were not a means of relief, but a tool to humiliate and kill us.”
On January 9, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) published a devastating report on the suffering of women in Gaza in their attempts to secure aid for their families, having lost their husbands, sons, or other breadwinners.
Building on first-hand testimonies of survivors, the report exclusively documents incidents recorded at the sites run by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a supposed humanitarian organisation jointly run by American mercenaries and Israeli genocidaires. By the time the Delaware-based GHF wrapped up its murderous six-month operation — starting in late May and ending on October 10 last year — it was responsible for the slaughter of at least 2,615 Palestinians and grievous injuries to thousands more.
Satanic project
With so much happening in Gaza since the start of the genocide, it is important to refresh our memories of this project that can best be described as satanic.
Operating in the Palestinian territories for several decades, UNRWA has an efficient aid distribution system in place. It provides the essentials to the needy in a dignified and safe manner. The Israelis, however, have long vilified the UN agency, levelling false accusations that it serves as a conduit for the Palestinian resistance. Israeli attacks on UNRWA went into overdrive after October 7, falsely accusing it of employing militants. This ultimately resulted in Western states pulling funding from UNRWA.
In October 2024, the Israeli parliament approved two laws with overwhelming majorities — 92-10 and 87-9 — barring UNRWA from operating in Israel, and severely curtailing its activities in Gaza and the West Bank.
The criminalisation of UNRWA and the complete siege of Gaza which led to an Israeli-engineered famine laid the groundwork for the inception of the GHF. The famine led to the deaths of at least 455 people due to starvation. Harrowing videos from the besieged enclave documented people collapsing from starvation on the streets of Gaza last summer.
Desperate for even a morsel amid a complete siege that began in early March 2025, Palestinians in Gaza had no choice but to risk their lives to feed their starving children. The four GHF distribution sites, which provided nowhere near the required amount of aid, were heavily militarised. Unlike UNRWA, these sites incentivised only the fittest among the starving, as aid became a lottery. Dodging sniper fire, tank shells, and drone strikes, the luckiest aid seekers — who began queuing early in the morning before distribution started around 9 am — might secure a single bag of flour after a day-long ordeal.
Taking their Satanism up another notch, the operators of the GHF declared some days as women-only, forcing Palestinian women to go through the humiliating ritual, with the threat of imminent death always hanging over their heads. Even on women-only days, the Israelis and Americans at these sites did not relent in shooting and killing starving mothers.
Targeting women at GHF sites
The PCHR report documents harrowing stories of devastating loss and humiliation endured by Palestinian women for simply trying to access aid for their families. Many of these women were forced into the role of aid seekers after their husbands, fathers, or adult sons were killed by the Israelis.
“Women in the Gaza Strip have endured a compounded tragedy, as they have borne the heaviest burden of Israel’s aid distribution policies,” the PCHR report states.
“Centers established to meet basic humanitarian needs were transformed into high-risk sites that threatened women’s lives and dignity. Many women were killed while attempting to obtain food, while others sustained critical injuries. Some were subjected to humiliation and degrading treatment while walking long distances, waiting for hours, or being caught in overcrowded and chaotic scenes, conditions that starkly reflected the collapse of the most basic standards of humanitarian protection.”
Killings of women
PCHR has published three testimonies from eyewitnesses to the killings of women at the GHF aid distribution sites.
“In these incidents, the IOF opened sudden and indiscriminate fire on women while they were present at food distribution waiting points, resulting in the killing of several women in areas designated for humanitarian aid,” the report says, adding that 38 women were murdered at these sites. Moreover: “In many instances, the shootings occurred on days specifically designated for women only, underscoring the systematic nature of these assaults and their deliberate intent, pointing to a direct genocidal purpose.”
Samah Abu ‘Anzah witnessed the murder of her sister Khadijah Abu ‘Anza (46), a mother of three, on a women-only day:
Upon arrival, we waited for some time, as the distribution center had not yet opened. Suddenly, an Israeli tank appeared only a few meters away and opened fire indiscriminately. Two women who were with us were wounded: one sustained a gunshot injury to the shoulder, and the other was shot in the abdomen. This occurred amid chaos and extreme panic among thousands of women who were waiting to receive humanitarian aid. Shortly afterward, a soldier positioned on the tank signaled for us to retreat, and we complied, stepping back gradually until we reached a nearby agricultural area, located a short distance behind the Turkish Hawouz area. There, I saw injured women lying on the ground, with no ambulances or medical assistance available. A short time later, two Israeli military vehicles arrived and opened fire indiscriminately on the area. All of this took place before 9:00, while we—and the other women—were still waiting for the aid distribution centers to open.
At approximately 08:59, just one minute before the aid center was scheduled to open, the tank and military vehicles dramatically intensified their gunfire. Suddenly, my sister Khadijah fell face-down onto the ground, while everyone around us was also lying on the ground. Her friend screamed for help, and when the shooting briefly stopped, I tried to turn my sister to check on her condition. I saw blood flowing from her mouth and nose, and I was unable to determine the exact location of her injury. We attempted to evacuate her to Nasser Hospital using a donkey cart, walking for more than 20 minutes while she was bleeding heavily. Upon our arrival at the hospital, doctors immediately pronounced her dead.
Khawla Ahmed Salem (46) recounts the murder of her sister, Maria, a mother of seven:
My sister Maria and I began lacking the most basic necessities of life, including flour and food, and for several days we had nothing at all. Our children went to sleep hungry, which filled us with deep fear for them due to the effects of malnutrition. My sister Maria decided to go to the U.S. aid distribution point in al-Shakoush area, and she returned with small amounts of chickpeas, lentils, and flour. We thanked God for the little we were able to obtain from that aid.
One day, when the IOF designated a women-only access day, my sister Maria and I decided to go together. At around 06:00, on 24 July 2025, we left our children sleeping and set out on foot from Asdaa City toward al-Shakoush area. We arrived at around 08:00 to find the aid distribution point crowded with women waiting to receive aid, while the men remained outside, away from the distribution point.
When we arrived, Israeli military tanks and a crane were stationed directly in front of us, and traces of dried blood from previous incidents were stained across the ground, filling us with fear. I wanted to turn back, but Maria refused. Afterwards, Israeli soldiers fired stun grenades and incendiary bombs filled with pepper spray, causing severe burning in people’s eyes and bodies, which sparked a chaotic push through the crowd. Everyone fled in panic, while the IOF, through loudspeakers, threatened the women and ordered them to move back.
During those moments, I lost sight of my sister Maria and began searching for her amid the chaos, while I was extremely exhausted and fell multiple times, with my foot burning from the bombs. Suddenly, the Israeli crane began firing indiscriminately, and Khadija Abu ‘Anzah was shot with a live bullet, killing her instantly. A 12-year-old girl and a pregnant woman named Houria Al-Shalabi (Khalifa) were also injured, bleeding heavily until they succumbed to their wounds.
I fled the scene and went to my brother in the Water Well 19 area, then tried to call my sister Maria around 14:00, and she told me she was fine. When I tried calling her again, a woman informed me that Maria had been injured and then hung up. On a third attempt to check on her condition, I was shocked when the woman told me that my sister died after being shot directly in the neck with a bullet. She was immediately taken to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Field Hospital.
My sister Maria, who had been divorced for seven years, left behind seven children without a mother or father, after her ex-husband was killed on 4 September 2024. The children have endured immense psychological trauma following the loss of their mother, left without protection or support, living with a profound emotional void and struggling with the effects of loss amid extremely harsh conditions in Gaza, where hunger, scarcity of basic necessities, and constant fear prevail.
Hala al-Ayyam Eyad Shalabiyia (16) witnessed the killing of her mother:
We are a family of seven, including three children, and my father is unemployed and unable to provide even the most basic necessities of life. Since the start of the war, we have been living under extremely harsh and devastating conditions. When the siege intensified and food shortages worsened, we often survived on just one meal a day, usually without bread, and some days we had no food at all, often having to make do with the lentil soup provided by the field kitchens.
On Wednesday, 23 July 2025, we learned that Thursday, 24 July 2025, would be designated for women to collect flour and food from the U.S. aid center established in western Rafah (al-Shakoush area). My mother, Houria Mohammed Mahmoud Shalabi (44) and I decided to go to the distribution center, hoping to obtain any food that could ease our family’s hunger.
At around 12:00, we left our tent on foot despite the extreme heat, hunger, and thirst, and we reached the al-Joura area near the distribution point at about 14:00, where we took cover behind a burnt bus due to the sporadic gunfire. The area was crowded with thousands of people.
We remained there for about half an hour as the sporadic gunfire continued. At first, I did not notice any injuries. Once my mother stood up, heavy gunfire suddenly erupted. Women began running backward, while others threw themselves to the ground to protect their lives. At that moment, my mother fell on her back without uttering a word, and I immediately realized she had been shot, as I saw her bleeding heavily from the head. I tried, with the help of two young men who were present, to pull her back to a safer area. While we were doing so, I saw people running while carrying another woman, saying that she had been killed.
Blood continued pouring from my mother’s head, nose, and mouth. We walked about 200 meters until we found a tuk-tuk that transported her. She was still breathing, and no first aid was available at the scene. We took her to the ICRC field hospital in al-Mawasi area in Rafah and brought her directly into the reception department, 22 where she was examined for only three minutes. I was standing at the door when one of the doctors came out and told me that my mother had succumbed to her injuries. I was overwhelmed with shock and burst into tears and screams, unable to control my crying or the overwhelming pain and sense of loss that flooded my heart.
On the morning of Friday, 25 July 2025, my father, my brother Walid, and my sister’s husband went to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to complete the burial procedures, while my siblings and I could not go due to the lack of transportation. This incident left us without a mother, without flour, and without food, enduring unbearable living conditions and a profound pain beyond description.
Grievously injured at ‘aid’ sites
The report has a section dedicated to women who suffered life-altering injuries at these satanic “aid” distribution sites. As the Israelis have continued their blockade of the Gaza Strip despite the ongoing supposed “ceasefire” and drastically limit medical evacuations, those suffering from grievous injuries are left ruing their decision to go the “aid” sites.
Aseel Ghazi Abu ‘Issa (16) suffered a deep wound in her chest while seeking aid with her mother and she continues to suffer months later. Her story also highlights how women were thrust into the role of breadwinners after the Israelis killed the family patriarch. “Women and girls in the Gaza Strip have endured increasingly tragic conditions under the grip of the Israeli starvation policy, which forced them to risk their lives at humanitarian aid distribution points,” the report added.
Aseel recounted her story to PCHR:
Before the war, I lived with my father, mother, and younger siblings, and our financial situation was good. My father worked, and we felt safe and had enough to meet our daily needs. But the war took everything from us, and after my father was killed several months ago, our lives were turned upside down. His loss left a profound emotional and financial void, particularly as he was the family’s sole breadwinner. As the war intensified and famine deepened, obtaining a loaf of bread became a distant dream, and there was nothing to eat in our tent. Hunger consumed us, and my seven-year-old brother cried throughout the night from severe hunger. My mother and I were compelled to search for any means to secure food.
We heard about aid being distributed at the U.S. distribution points, and we hoped to obtain some flour and food. Despite knowing the danger, we decided to go because of our severe hunger.
When we arrived at the distribution point, we heard a call from the plane permitting entry, and we went in, only to find that the aid center had not yet been opened.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted against us. Our neighbors’ daughters were with us; most were injured, and one was killed right before my eyes. I do not know how I survived, but I lost sight of my mother for hours amid the chaos and terror, as I searched for her while she searched for me. That day was one of the hardest of my life. After some time, I found women from our area who brought me back to the tent, where I found my mother completely devastated. At that point, we decided never to return to the aid distribution points again.
But the hunger imposed by the IOF had a different outcome—hunger shows no mercy. My mother and I were forced to go again on 10/9/2025, this time to the aid point in al-Shakoush area, on a day said to be designated for women. We went with a group of women, but the scene repeated itself. We heard a call from the plane allowing entry, and as soon as we entered, it became clear that it was a trap, and we were once again subjected to random gunfire. During my escape, my thirst became unbearable, so I sat on the ground to drink water. At that moment, I felt something piercing my body. I screamed before losing consciousness, and my mother, along with the other women present, carried me to the hospital. My injury was in my chest and was very deep. To this day, I continue to suffer from persistent pain that limits my movement, along with recurring infections and purulent discharge from the wound. I can no longer bend my back or carry anything, and I have also begun to experience high blood pressure despite my young age. This injury has had a profound impact on my mental health; I have become irritable and fearful about my future as a girl due to the wound’s effects. Worst of all, after once wanting to help my mother support our family, I have become a burden to them because of my ongoing need for treatment and care.
Manar Zakaria Salman Khattab (37), a mother of six children, told a story of desperation. Totally deprived of food to provide for her children, she was forced to endure a trip to a GHF site and ended up with injuries that have made her even more helpless.
The war only grew more intense, no longer limited to the bombing, displacement, and other hardships we had grown accustomed to. As time passed, the tragedy deepened, and the Israeli restrictions imposed on us became harsher by the day. Even our means of survival were not spared, as the IOF closed the crossings and prevented the entry of food and flour, and even prohibited canned goods. We found ourselves trapped in a small prison, dying slowly, as the situation worsened with each passing day. Famine escalated catastrophically to the point that my children could no longer sleep from hunger, especially my youngest son, Zakaria, who had not yet reached his second birthday. I watched them cry from hunger, with nothing to offer them. My husband is unemployed, and we have no source of income and no food at home. On the day it was announced that the U.S. aid distribution points would be allocated to women, I did not hesitate for a moment to go, despite my husband’s objections, as the anguish over my children was tearing me apart. At around 12:00, on 24 July 2025, I left with my 14-year-old eldest daughter and my neighbor, heading to the aid distribution point in al-Tina area in Khan Yunis.
When we arrived, the crowds were massive, with everyone scrambling to reach the aid quickly and secure something to ease their hunger. Amid the overwhelming chaos, gunfire suddenly erupted from a tank and a quadcopter drone, directly targeting us. The sound of bullets drew closer and closer, and suddenly, I felt intense heat piercing my hand, and blood gushed from it heavily.
My daughter screamed and collapsed to the ground in fear, crying loudly, “Help us!” But no one responded, as everyone was rushing to get food. After a long while, with my hand bleeding heavily, a young man approached me, saying he was a nurse. He wrapped my hand to stop the bleeding and helped me leave the area until we found a tuk-tuk that transported me, along with several other injured people, to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Doctors there diagnosed my injury as an entry-and-exit gunshot wound that caused torn tendons and a fracture in my hand. They told me that I needed to have a metal rod (platinum) implanted. Since the day I was injured, the doctors have been performing daily wound debridement due to the severe infection that developed because the wound remained open for a long time before I reached the hospital. They are still waiting for the wound to heal so they can perform the surgery and implant the metal rod.
Since that day, I have been bedridden in the hospital, unable to bring food to my children or even care for myself. In addition to my suffering, I have become an injured mother, unable to help my children, who grow weaker and more emaciated with each passing day due to extreme hunger. Had the famine not been so severe and had I not heard my children’s constant crying or seen their frail bodies, I would never have risked my life by going to the aid distribution point. But seeing your child writhe in hunger makes you willing to sacrifice yourself and everything you have just to provide a small morsel for them… yet, unfortunately, I could neither secure food for them nor even protect myself.
Forced shift in family roles
In one of the most harrowing accounts in the report, 35-year-old Maha Riyad Hussain Mizher, saw her husband being killed after being pushed under an “aid” truck. Maha, seven months pregnant at the time, became the sole provider for her four sons and unborn daughter.
I have four sons and one daughter. 18 July 2025 was one of the hardest days of the famine; the price of a kilogram of flour had reached 150 shekels (about $40), and we had no flour, food, or water. My husband previously refused to go to the U.S. aid distribution points to collect the assistance out of fear of injury or death, but we had reached a point where we had no choice but to go and obtain anything to ensure our children’s survival.
On that day, huge numbers of people went to the aid point, and the crowd was overwhelming. Amid the chaos, my husband was pushed under a parked aid truck; it suddenly moved and ran over his head, killing him instantly. This was the most difficult moment I have ever faced in my life. I was seven months pregnant at the time, and my husband had wished for us to have a daughter. He knew before his death that the newborn would be a girl, but he did not live to see this dream come true.
Before the war, my life was stable and peaceful with my husband and children in a fully equipped home, and my husband provided us with safety and support. After his death, my life completely collapsed, and I lost the security and support he had provided. I became unable to meet my children’s needs under these harsh conditions.
Today, I am the sole provider for my family, carrying the full responsibility of caring for my five children alone, facing great difficulty in providing them with food, clothing, and protection. In the months following my husband’s death, I suffered from severe depression, especially after the birth of my youngest daughter, whose basic needs for milk and diapers I could not provide, whereas my husband had previously ensured that we had everything we needed in terms of food, clothing, and safety.
Systemic humiliation
The systemic humiliation to which Palestinians were subjected at these GHF sites has left them with deep scars.
“While heading to receive aid, we were met with gunfire, and I felt extreme fear, trying to protect myself—not just to get food, but to be able to return to my children safely,” Riham Abu Sa‘da (37), told PCHR. “I saw death with my own eyes, witnessed a woman being injured, and a child being hit by a shell in her back.
“These aid distributions were not a means of relief, but a tool to humiliate and kill us.”
In this ongoing genocide, broadcast in high definition for over two years, we have witnessed some of the worst savagery inflicted upon a people with no escape. Even in this extremely sadistic Israeli campaign, which has left no stone unturned in exterminating Palestinians from their own land, the conception of the GHF will go down as one of the most vicious experiments in modern history.
Please consider supporting this newsletter with a paid subscription here or on Ko-fi or Patreon. You can also buy me a coffee or two at the link below. Thank you!
Two intense reactions:
First, I picture one courageous American, Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar, who appears on every podcast who'll have him to decry the horrors of the GHF, the scam of that absurdity being called an aid agency. There are a few good folks in the USA, and he's one of the honest actors.
Second, the fecklessness of the UN general assembly -- unable to effect any action to insist that UNWRA be permitted to service a member state, Palestine, without interference from another member state, Israel. The entire scam of having this outrage subject to the veto of a security council member like the US is a fatal flaw in the UN that makes it freaking worthless. Unless that organization acts to change this flaw, it may as well go away.
Palestinian women are strong, brave and resilient despite the best efforts of the IGFF (extra “f” is intentional, y’all know what it stands for) to shut them down. The Ziofilth aren’t even capable of fighting unarmed women and children; assassinate is all they know.
Can anyone imagine AmeriKKKan or European women reacting under these circumstances? They’d scream like children then lay down and die, and screw their starving kids.
Open letter to every IsraHelli scum: the world despises you. You will never be forgiven. You will all die more horrific deaths than the actual human beings that the Palestinians are. You are vampires to be eliminated, one and all, from the face of this earth. And not a single soul will regret it.