https://ghostarchive.org/archive/vwyJL

There are roughly two million people in Gaza. Israel, which has frequently hindered the flow of aid to the enclave since the start of the war in October 2023, cut it off completely for about 80 days from March to May to put pressure on Hamas, which it accuses of looting donated food. Palestinians in Gaza were left with little to eat and are still facing widespread hunger, according to humanitarian groups.

The State Department said on Thursday that it had approved $30 million in funding for a fledgling aid distribution system in Gaza backed by Israel and run mostly by American contractors, which has seen deadly violence erupt near its sites.

Humanitarian groups have been raising alarms since before the project’s operations began late last month. There are only a few distribution sites, most in southern Gaza, and Israeli soldiers are stationed nearby. Aid groups say that situation displaces residents, exposes them to danger and militarizes humanitarian assistance.

Deadly violence has erupted frequently near the sites as large numbers of people have approached them seeking food. The Gaza health ministry said on Wednesday that hundreds had been killed near the distribution points in the past month.

Witnesses have repeatedly reported that Israeli troops opened fire near the new aid hubs. The Israeli military has said that it fired “warning shots” when people approached soldiers threateningly.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has pushed back on reports of violence near its sites, saying that news outlets have sometimes misreported where shootings took place. It has also accused Hamas of spreading misinformation and threatening aid workers.

Thomas Pigott, a State Department spokesman, said at a news briefing that the new group running the food distribution centers, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, was “absolutely incredible and should be commended and supported.” He called on other countries to follow suit and contribute funding to the group, which has been criticized by the United Nations and many humanitarian organizations.

But the U.N. humanitarian agency said on Thursday that the needs of people in Gaza were very far from being met.

“Families in Gaza are risking their lives to access food, with nearly daily mass casualties reported as people attempt to reach supplies,” the agency said in a report. “Most families survive on just one nutritiously poor meal per day, while adults routinely skip meals to prioritize children, the elderly and the ill amid deepening hunger and desperation.”

Mr. Pigott declined to respond to questions about whether the United States would press Israel to let more aid into the enclave and whether the new foundation would expand its operations to reach more people.

Asked about the violence that has broken out near the foundation’s sites, Mr. Pigott referred reporters to the Israeli military, which has said it is investigating some of the incidents. He blamed “Hamas propaganda” for “some of these reports.”