On August 1st, Steven Weitzkopf, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, visited Gaza to inspect a humanitarian distribution point managed by the \"Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,\" a private organization supported by both the U.S. and Israel. The visit was presented as an opportunity to assess the situation on the ground, with Weitzkopf meeting with staff from the Foundation to discuss potential food and medical aid plans. However, local Palestinians were quick to point out the contradictions, stating that while the U.S. publicly claims to be working to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, its ongoing support for Israel makes it complicit in the ongoing disaster.
展开剩余88%On the very day of Weitzkopf’s visit, at least 53 Palestinians were reported dead after being shot by Israeli soldiers while attempting to receive food aid. The tragic events underscored the dire state of Gaza, where the very act of seeking humanitarian relief has become a life-threatening endeavor.
The next day, on August 2nd, Hamas issued a statement condemning Weitzkopf’s visit, calling it a \"pre-arranged farce\" designed to mislead public opinion and beautify the image of the Israeli military. Hamas argued that the visit, alongside the propaganda efforts to portray aid distribution as peaceful and orderly, was grossly out of step with the reality faced by the people of Gaza. They called on the U.S. to stop providing cover for Israel’s actions and to push for a ceasefire and the lifting of the unjust blockade on Gaza.
Palestinian analyst Taysir from Gaza echoed these sentiments, describing the visit as an attempt to polish the U.S. and Israeli image. He emphasized that only genuine, comprehensive actions to end the ongoing tragedy in Gaza—particularly the brutal war and its consequences—could bring any meaningful change. The situation had only worsened since Israel resumed its blockade of Gaza in March, triggering widespread famine and suffering. As of late May, the \"Gaza Humanitarian Foundation\" had taken over aid distribution, bypassing the United Nations, and the result was a chaotic and dangerous situation. Four aid distribution points set up by the Foundation in Gaza had become notorious for overcrowding, where desperate civilians, in search of food, faced the real threat of death.
According to data released by the United Nations on August 1st, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed since May 27th while attempting to collect food aid, with over 800 of those deaths occurring near the Foundation’s distribution points. The ongoing siege and these problematic distribution efforts have left Gaza in the grips of a severe humanitarian crisis. In response to international pressure, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the famine in Gaza and proposed the creation of new food distribution points. However, these would still be managed by Israel, ensuring that the mechanisms of control remained firmly in Israeli hands.
A former American soldier who had worked for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in a security role revealed troubling details about the organization’s operations. He described witnessing American contractors using excessive force against defenseless civilians, including incidents where women were shot with stun grenades and men were pepper-sprayed in the face while attempting to gather food. The soldier expressed his belief that the Foundation’s purpose was never humanitarian aid, but rather to use hunger as leverage and turn aid distribution points into \"death traps.\"
On August 2nd, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Lazzarini, issued a statement blaming both the U.S. and Israel for the deaths of nearly 1,400 Gazans. He pointed to the creation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as a deliberate effort to undermine the U.N.'s humanitarian efforts and further exacerbate the suffering of Gaza’s population. Lazzarini condemned the Israeli blockade that had prevented UNRWA from delivering aid since March 2nd and criticized the political motives behind sidelining the organization.
In interviews with local residents, many in Gaza expressed frustration with the U.S.'s double standards. While the U.S. claims to care about improving the humanitarian situation, its support for Israel's actions renders it an accomplice in the ongoing crisis. Khaled Zanon, a resident of Gaza City, recounted his experience of waiting in line for food aid, only to be sent away empty-handed after hours of waiting. He described how, just a month earlier, his cousin had been shot dead by Israeli soldiers at a distribution point while trying to get flour. “Why does the U.S. continue to maintain this system if they admit there is a famine? This isn't aid, it’s a trap—set to humiliate us and put us in danger of death,\" he said.
In the central Mughazi refugee camp, 40-year-old Shami Shekh shared a similar story. She had waited six hours under the scorching sun with her 11-month-old child, hoping to collect essential supplies like flour and baby formula. Despite the chaos and danger surrounding the aid distribution point, she left empty-handed, her child already suffering from malnutrition. \"Why should Israel decide who lives and who dies?” she asked, furious. \"The U.S. claims to care, but they’re supporting the very system that causes our pain and suffering. They are not just standing by—they’re actively complicit in our deaths.\"
The comments from local Palestinians reflect a growing disillusionment with U.S. policy in Gaza, as people feel increasingly abandoned and betrayed by those who claim to be their allies.
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