A coalition of more than 130 humanitarian organizations, including prominent groups such as Oxfam, Save the Children, and Amnesty International, is demanding the immediate shutdown of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), citing grave concerns over its impact on civilians.

According to these organizations, since the GHF began operations in late May, over 500 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 4,000 injured while attempting to access aid. They claim that both Israeli forces and armed groups have “routinely” opened fire on civilians gathered at aid distribution sites.

Israel has denied allegations that its forces deliberately target civilians seeking aid and has defended the GHF, saying the mechanism delivers assistance directly to those in need while preventing interference from Hamas.

In a joint statement released Tuesday, the aid groups argued that the GHF violates fundamental humanitarian principles by concentrating Gaza’s population into overcrowded, militarized zones where people face daily violence. They emphasized that the current aid model forces desperate civilians into life-threatening conditions just to secure basic necessities.

“Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to feed their families,” the statement read. It also noted that children and their caregivers are among the victims, with minors affected in more than half of the reported attacks.

The GHF system replaced a network of 400 distribution points—used during a temporary Israel-Hamas ceasefire—with just four Israeli military-controlled sites: three located in southwestern Gaza and one in the central region. Since its implementation, medical personnel, eyewitnesses, and Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry have reported almost daily fatalities at these locations.

The aid model has also come under sharp criticism from United Nations agencies. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the GHF framework as “inherently unsafe,” warning that it militarizes humanitarian aid and forces Gazans to travel through dangerous areas for food. The UN had opposed the plan from the outset.

Reports from Israeli newspaper Haaretz last week claimed that unnamed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers had received orders to fire on unarmed civilians near the aid sites to deter crowds. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the allegations as “malicious falsehoods,” while the IDF denied intentionally targeting civilians.

In response to international concern, the IDF stated on Monday that it is reviewing operations at the aid sites and will implement changes including fencing, signage, and other measures to guide and protect civilians accessing aid.

Nevertheless, the aid organizations insist that these changes are insufficient. “The GHF is not a humanitarian response,” the groups stated. “In the midst of widespread hunger and famine-like conditions, many families tell us they are now too weak to compete for food rations.”

The joint call adds further pressure on Israeli and U.S. officials to reevaluate the controversial aid model, as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.