The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has sharply criticized a new U.S.-backed aid distribution model in Gaza, calling it a “distraction from atrocities” following a deadly incident at a distribution site in Rafah.
On Tuesday, thousands of Palestinians breached fences to access humanitarian supplies managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a previously obscure group supported by Israel and the United States.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported one person killed and 47 others wounded, primarily by Israeli gunfire, during the chaotic scene.
The Israeli military stated its forces fired warning shots nearby.
Speaking at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Lazzarini condemned the GHF’s operations, stating, “We have seen yesterday the shocking images of hungry people pushing against fences, desperate for food. It was chaotic, undignified and unsafe.”
He further criticized the model, saying, “I believe it is a waste of resources and a distraction from atrocities.”
Lazzarini argued that the system undermines established UN aid networks, noting, “We already have an aid distribution system that is fit for purpose.”
He warned that the new model, limited to three or four distribution points compared to 400 previously, could force displacement, adding, “It’s also a way to incite people to be forcibly displaced to get humanitarian assistance.”
Israel, which has facilitated GHF’s efforts, claims the model prevents aid from reaching Hamas.
The GHF reported distributing 8,000 food boxes, equivalent to 462,000 meals, since Israel eased an 11-week blockade last week.
However, the UN and other aid groups have boycotted GHF, arguing it violates humanitarian principles of independent aid distribution.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce dismissed such criticism as “complaints about style.”
As aid trickles into Gaza, Israeli forces continue their offensive, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting 3,901 deaths since a ceasefire collapsed in mid-March, bringing the war’s toll to 53,977.
On Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed at least 15 people, including eight in an attack on a journalist’s home in northern Gaza.
Lazzarini urged immediate action, stating, “The clock is ticking towards famine, so humanitarian (work) must be allowed to do its life-saving work now.”