Footage shows GHF site overrun upon opening, as dangerous chaos plagues Gaza aid initiative

Footage taken yesterday from one of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid distribution sites shows the compound being completely overrun immediately upon its opening by Palestinians rushing to secure food.

The video was filmed by one of the American security contractors working at the site, according to Israeli peace activist Alon-Lee Green, who declined to offer further details in order to protect the identity of the individual.

The large crowds of Gazans seen inside the designated fenced-in waiting area ahead of the site’s opening are overtaken by a rush of others hopping over the outer fences of the compound.

The scene highlights the chaos that has plagued GHF aid distribution sites since their launch on May 26. With between zero and three sites open each day, the Israeli- and US-backed organization has struggled to serve Gaza’s population of some two million people after a 78-day Israeli aid blockade was lifted.

A GHF spokesperson doesn’t respond to requests for comment on the footage, but the organization has said it is working to adapt its procedures to better serve Gaza’s population, including by opening designated lines for women.

Red Cross and Hamas-linked health officials have reported near-daily fatal shooting incidents involving Palestinians trekking to aid sites. The IDF has acknowledged on six occasions that it fired warning shots at people who strayed off the approved access routes and approached troops, posing a threat.

The UN and other aid groups in Gaza warned for weeks that such incidents would take place under the GHF model, arguing that such a small number of distribution sites for Gaza’s entire population of two million people would force many to make long treks through IDF lines in order to secure food.

Israel says the goal of the initiative is to box Hamas out of the aid distribution process, so that it cannot divert assistance from those in need.

GHF says it has distributed roughly 271,200 boxes of aid to date. They are largely filled with dry food products that need to be prepared before they can be consumed.

An average of 65 aid trucks have entered Gaza each day since Israel partially lifted its blockade on May 19, but the World Food Program says roughly 300 trucks a day are needed to serve Gaza’s population, which IDF officials acknowledged was on the brink of starvation before it resumed allowing aid in last month.

את הווידאו הזה שהשגתי ישירות דרך עובד של החברה האמריקאית בעזה, אין דרך אחרת לתאר מלבד כאפוקליפטי. אבל לא מדובר בסרט אסונות, אלא בגיהינום שיצרנו בעזה. ככה נראים בני אדם מורעבים שמסתערים על אוכל תוך סיכון חייהם. ככה נראית דה-הומניזציה של מיליוני אנשים. אל תעצמו עניים. הביטו בזה. pic.twitter.com/qGJk5ICYg9

— Alon-Lee Green – ألون-لي جرين – אלון-לי גרין :large_purple_circle: (@AlonLeeGreen) June 11, 2025