In an open letter issued on Monday, fifteen leading human rights and legal organizations condemned the militarized and privatized aid distribution model run by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), reported the Guardian.They called for an immediate return to internationally recognized humanitarian frameworks through UN agencies across the occupied Gaza Strip.
The letter warns that individuals and entities involved in the GHF scheme—including State actors, private security firms, consultants, and donors—could face legal consequences for their alleged complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and potentially genocide.
Since the GHF began operations on May 27, more than 450 Palestinians have been killed and 3,466 injured at aid distribution sites under its control.
“It is immoral and inhuman when those committing the genocide take responsibility to feed those whom they have starved,” said Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR).
“The GHF is being used to humiliate, degrade and kill starving people. This is a deliberate crime by the Israeli occupation army supported by Western colonial partners.”
The GHF was launched following the suspension of neutral agencies like UNRWA, UNICEF, and several long-standing international humanitarian NGOs. Backed by Israel and the United States, the GHF uses private military companies to oversee its operations, forcing Palestinians to travel long distances to distribution hubs under surveillance, where they risk violence and displacement.
“This dehumanizing system was bound to cause mass casualties,” said Katherine Gallagher, Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR).
“If GHF and its collaborators persist, legal consequences will follow—whether in the U.S. or globally.”
The aid model exposes civilians to identity checks, forced displacement, and violations of international humanitarian principles. According to Philip Grant, Executive Director of TRIAL International, all those enabling or profiting from the GHF’s operations could be prosecuted for starvation of civilians and forcible population transfer—both recognized as war crimes under international law.
The letter explicitly reminds collaborators—be they governments, security firms, donors, or contractors—that they risk civil and criminal liability in jurisdictions that recognize universal jurisdiction over serious international crimes.
It urges all parties to immediately disengage from the GHF framework and instead support neutral, rights-based humanitarian efforts in Gaza. It concludes with a collective call for the immediate opening of Gaza and a comprehensive ceasefire.
The letter was co-signed by major international legal and human rights groups including:
Center for Constitutional Rights, TRIAL International, Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Australian Centre for International Justice, Center for Justice and Accountability, Centre for Applied Legal Studies, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Global Legal Action Network, Guernica 37 Chambers, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights, Medico International, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, and Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice.
