Two American aid workers were injured on July 5 when Hamas terrorists threw grenades packed with ball bearings at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution site near the southern Gazan city of Khan Yunis, marking the latest escalation in the terror group’s campaign to sabotage independent humanitarian aid delivery.
According to a preliminary investigation into the terrorist attack, two assailants threw grenades at workers inside an aid compound after food distribution concluded. Thousands of Gazans had safely received food before the attack. No local aid workers or civilians were harmed.
The GHF posted a picture of fragments from one of the explosive devices, stating that the two assailants had targeted the “highly decorated American veterans” before running into a crowd of civilians following the attack. The Israel Defense Forces, responsible for providing security outside the aid sites, facilitated the safe evacuation of the two injured Americans, who were reportedly in stable condition.
The aid organization stated on Saturday, “We are grateful their injuries are not life-threatening and ask the public to keep them and their families in their thoughts and prayers.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday urged the international community to condemn the Hamas terrorist attack that wounded the two U.S. employees of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The Israeli prime minister sent his “best wishes for a speedy recovery to the employees of the American aid foundation, who were wounded in the terrorist incident that was perpetrated by Hamas terrorists at the food distribution facility,” according to a statement from his office.
The foundation was doing “important work,” said Netanyahu, who thanked both it and U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The entire world needs to stand up and condemn the severe incident, which again reveals the brutality of Hamas,” he added.
Despite the demonstrable success of GHF’s operations, the organization faces opposition from UN agencies. Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, posted controversial claims on his official X account calling for an end to the “so called ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation'” alleging it “provides nothing but starvation and gunfire to the people of Gaza.”
Lazzarini claimed that “since this scheme began, at least 500 starving people have been reported killed and nearly 4,000 injured while desperately struggling to get food” and that “Gaza has gone from 400 aid distribution points to only four militarized distribution sites.”
The UNRWA chief stated that “130+ NGOs have called for the restoration of a unified, UN-led coordination and distribution based on international humanitarian law inclusive of UNRWA.”
However, these claims directly contradict the GHF’s documented record of safely distributing over 62 million meals and the organization’s own statements that there have been no civilian casualties at its distribution sites. The GHF has repeatedly stated that reports of deaths and injuries at their sites are false, with the IDF providing drone footage showing Hamas terrorists, not Israeli forces, shooting at civilians seeking aid.
Netanyahu also echoed calls for the United Nations to drop opposition to the GHF’s aid activities and “act in concert so that the latter might continue to safely act on behalf of the residents of the Gaza Strip.”
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce condemned the terror attack “against the people actually bringing relief to Gazans,” describing it as laying “bare the depravity of Hamas.”
“GHF has contributed over 62 MILLION MEALS – nothing will stop these courageous aid workers,” Bruce wrote in an X post, adding: “We are praying for the rapid recovery of the injured Americans.”
The attack represents a significant escalation in Hamas’s efforts to disrupt the GHF’s operations, which have successfully distributed over 62 million meals directly to Gazan civilians since the beginning of operations in the Palestinian enclave.
The July 5 attack follows a sustained campaign of threats and violence by Hamas against the GHF and its workers. On June 28, the organization revealed that Hamas had placed bounties on the heads of both Palestinians working for the organization and American personnel providing security for its aid distribution sites.
“We are aware of credible reports” of the bounties, the GHF stated, adding that Hamas had pre-positioned “armed operatives” near aid sites to “disrupt” delivery operations. The terror group has also warned Gazan civilians against interacting with the organization or receiving aid from the sites.
The escalation reached a deadly peak in early June when Hamas murdered 12 Palestinian GHF aid workers. At least eight people were killed and several others injured after Hamas terrorists attacked a bus carrying two dozen Palestinian GHF workers to a distribution site in southern Gaza.
“We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,” the GHF stated at the time. “These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives every day to help others.”
The GHF also suspects Hamas abducted several workers as hostages during the shooting attack.
The GHF’s direct distribution model poses a significant threat to Hamas’s control over humanitarian aid in Gaza. Unlike traditional aid delivery systems that Hamas has historically co-opted and monetized, the GHF operates what it calls “Safe Distribution Sites” that deliver meals directly to Gazan civilians without Hamas intermediation.
“We have a job to do. It’s very simple, to provide free food every day to the people of Gaza,” said GHF head Johnnie Moore. “Attempts to disrupt this life-saving work will only deepen the crisis.”
Previously, Hamas and armed gangs have systematically looted free humanitarian aid to sell at a profit, exploiting the desperation of Gazan civilians. The GHF’s model eliminates this revenue stream for the terror organization, explaining Hamas’s violent opposition to the aid distribution sites.
Tyler Stapleton, Director of Congressional Relations at FDD Action, explained the strategic implications: “Hamas desires to return the aid process to a United Nations-centric effort that it has spent years co-opting and monetizing for its own gain.”
Hamas has attempted to justify its attacks through a propaganda campaign claiming its operatives face the same conditions as ordinary civilians. In a June 28 video, Hamas displayed captions reading, “We are hungry just as you are hungry … Our commanders do not hide. They are in the field, just as you are,” suggesting that Hamas terrorists were among the crowds of civilians waiting for food distribution.
The GHF described its personnel as “heroes who are simply trying to feed the people of Gaza in the middle of a war,” accusing Hamas of “showing the world it prefers chaos and starvation to peace and aid.”
“GHF has repeatedly warned of credible threats from Hamas, including explicit plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers and the civilians who rely on our sites for food. Today’s attack tragically affirms those warnings,” the foundation’s statement continued.
The GHF’s operations have also been targeted by a coordinated media misinformation campaign. The organization rejected reports of civilian casualties at its Safe Distribution Sites after CNN, the BBC, The New York Times, the Associated Press, and several other news outlets claimed dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire near the humanitarian aid distribution zones.
“While we have seen false news reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos at our distribution sites, yesterday’s false reporting was the most egregious in terms of outright fabrications and misinformation,” the GHF said regarding June 1 reports. The organization reiterated “that there were no injuries, fatalities or incidents” during its operations that day, adding that it has “yet to see any concrete evidence that there was an attack at or near our facility.”
The IDF subsequently released drone footage showing armed terrorists shooting at Gazan civilians collecting aid, contradicting media reports that blamed Israeli forces for civilian casualties.
“Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that the IDF did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effect are false,” the IDF asserted.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned what he described as “reckless and irresponsible reporting by major U.S. news outlets” covering the alleged incident. Huckabee added that such “sloppy journalism” contributes “to the antisemitic climate that has resulted in the murder of two young people at an Israeli Embassy event in Washington last month and the attempted murder and terror attack on a group of pro-Israel demonstrators in Colorado.”
“The efforts of GHF have resulted in over 5 million meals to civilians without incident,” Huckabee stated at the time.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies experts criticized the media coverage as bordering on “full-throated endorsement of terrorist propaganda.”
“Reports from major news outlets over the weekend not only failed journalistic standards but bordered on full-throated endorsement of terrorist propaganda,” said Tyler Stapleton. “Major media outlets are now directly aiding Hamas in perpetuating a false narrative that the new aid process is a form of violence against Palestinians, rather than a lifeline free from the terror group’s extortion.”
The false reporting incidents highlight broader challenges in countering Hamas propaganda and disinformation campaigns. Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal, noted that despite Israel’s advanced intelligence and military capabilities, it continues to struggle in the information domain.
“The recurring failure by the IDF to respond swiftly and effectively to emerging narratives has created a vacuum often filled by hostile actors,” Truzman observed. “In many cases, delays in releasing verified information or visual evidence allow false claims to take root and shape global discourse before the facts are clarified.”
Despite the escalating threats and attacks, the GHF continues its operations, having distributed over 62 million meals to Gazan civilians. The organization operates under U.S. and Israeli backing, providing a consistent aid distribution system that bypasses Hamas control.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies has strongly condemned the Hamas attacks, emphasizing that the terror group’s campaign against humanitarian workers demonstrates its preference for maintaining control over aid distribution rather than ensuring civilian welfare.
As President Donald Trump has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA” and “GET THE HOSTAGES BACK,” the GHF’s work continues to provide a vital lifeline to Gazan civilians while exposing Hamas’s willingness to attack those trying to help the Palestinian population.
The organization’s success in delivering aid directly to civilians, combined with Hamas’s violent opposition to these efforts, underscores the terror group’s prioritization of maintaining control over humanitarian resources rather than addressing the genuine needs of Gaza’s population.
