The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) reported Saturday that two American aid workers were injured in a grenade attack at a food distribution site in Gaza, as deadly violence continues to grip the enclave.
The U.S.- and Israeli-supported group said both victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and are now in stable condition following the assault, which occurred at the end of a food distribution effort.
“Preliminary information indicates that two assailants threw grenades at the Americans as the distribution was wrapping up,” GHF said in a statement. “Thousands of Gazans had safely received food before the incident.”
GHF, which began operations in Gaza in May, uses U.S. private military contractors to secure its distribution sites. The identity of the attackers remains unknown, but the Israeli military later blamed “terrorist organisations” for seeking to sabotage humanitarian aid efforts.
Meanwhile, Gaza health officials reported that at least 70 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the past 24 hours, including 23 people near food distribution sites. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on those deaths but said Friday that it had killed 100 militants over the past week and now holds “operational control” over 65% of Gaza.
Aid Sites Under Threat
The Hamas-run interior ministry has warned residents not to approach GHF distribution sites, calling them dangerous. U.N. officials have echoed those concerns, saying more than 400 Palestinians have been killed since May 19 while trying to access aid—many near GHF operations. Critics have accused the U.S.-based organisation of bypassing neutral aid channels and contributing to chaos on the ground.
Despite the controversy, GHF says it has delivered over 52 million meals in five weeks.
The spike in violence comes as ceasefire talks show faint signs of progress. Hamas said Friday it responded positively to a U.S.-backed proposal, and President Donald Trump is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 cross-border attack that killed around 1,200 Israelis and led to the capture of 251 hostages, has left Gaza devastated. Health authorities in the enclave report over 57,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s military campaign, which has also displaced the population and caused a severe hunger crisis. Israel faces mounting accusations of genocide and war crimes—allegations it denies.