More than 20 governments, including key Western allies of Israel, have jointly called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a fundamental overhaul of the current humanitarian aid distribution model imposed by Israel in the Palestinian territories.
In a joint statement, countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Australia, Canada, and Denmark expressed alarm over the dire situation in Gaza, citing the deaths of over 800 Palestinians while they were seeking aid. The ministers condemned what they described as a “trickle of aid and inhumane killing of civilians.”
Mourners carry the body during the funeral of a Palestinian person, killed in Israeli attacks, according to medics, outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, July 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Criticism of GHF and Israel’s Aid Strategy
Most of the casualties reportedly occurred near aid distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The foundation functions under the oversight of the United States and Israel, distributing supplies through a network loosely affiliated with the United Nations.
The joint statement harshly criticized Israel’s aid approach, with the foreign ministers declaring: “The Israeli government’s aid model is dangerous, fuels instability, and strips Gaza’s residents of their human dignity.”
This appeal for change comes notably from countries that are long-standing allies of Israel and its primary backer, the United States, marking a significant shift in diplomatic tone.
Mourners carry the bodies of Palestinians killed in an early morning Israeli strike on a tent sheltering displaced people, according to medics, during on the day of the funeral, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
UN Flags Safety Concerns Over Israel-Backed Model
Israel’s humanitarian strategy has involved bypassing the UN-led distribution system, instead using private American logistics and security firms to deliver supplies. Israel has argued that the UN network has allowed Hamas-led fighters to loot aid shipments intended for civilians—an accusation Hamas denies.
The United Nations, for its part, has declared the GHF model unsafe and a violation of established standards of humanitarian neutrality and impartiality. The GHF has rejected these allegations.
