Palestinians at an American-backed aid site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) cheered for the U.S. and President Donald Trump on Thursday, as millions of meals were distributed without incident.
“America, very good!” one man shouted. Other Palestinians chanted, “Trump! Trump! Trump!”, in unison.
Palestinians collect aid boxes at an aid site run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). (Courtesy Gaza Humanitarian Foundation)
Thursday marked the first day that the GHF aid sites were reopened after closing for one day on Wednesday to build up additional security measures. The sites are secured by soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who also secure the corridors that Palestinians use to access the sites.
On Sunday, Hamas fired upon Palestinians trying to reach the first GHF site, and falsely claimed that Israel had killed dozens of people. (The story was duly repeated in the Western media, and later retracted by some outlets.) On Tuesday, IDF soldiers half a kilometer from an aid site fired upon a small group of Palestinians who left the corridor and moved toward the soldiers, ignoring warning shots. That led to more false reports of Israeli atrocities.
While there was no violence at the aid sites, the GHF decided to pause for a day Wednesday to improve security.
In a statement Thursday, GHF said that it had distributed over 1.4 million meals that day alone at two sites. “This brings the total number of meals distributed to-date to approximately 8,480,902 via roughly 132,480 boxes,” it said (emphasis removed), adding: “Reopening of aid distribution sites occurred without incident.”
Interim GHF director John Acree said in a statement:
Over the past 24 hours, we have been fully focused on strengthening our distribution sites to ensure safe and more efficient delivery of lifesaving aid to the people of Gaza. We’ve made critical enhancements, including site maintenance and repairs, as part of our ongoing commitment to safe and effective operations. As we have said, we remain dedicated to continually advancing measures that prioritize civilian safety in one of the world’s most complex humanitarian environments.
GHF is proud that almost 8.5 million meals have been delivered so far – without incident. But we know this is just the beginning, including our efforts to scale throughout the strip. Our top priority remains protecting the safety and dignity of those receiving aid, especially as we continue to serve as the only reliable provider of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.
The United Nations and Hamas oppose the GHF effort because it undermines their power in Gaza and their control of the Palestinian population.
Palestinians have reportedly been surprised GHF provides aid for free — unlike Hamas, which charges them.
The U.S. vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Wednesday calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza partly because it did not condemn Hamas — and because it would not endorse GHF’s successful efforts.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of Trump 2.0: The Most Dramatic ‘First 100 Days’ in Presidential History, available for Amazon Kindle. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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