Hamas Attacks Aid Group, Killing Five, Taking Hostages

“Our hearts are broken and our thoughts and prayers are with every victim, every family and every person still unaccounted for,” the foundation said. 

The group, which vowed to continue its mission “to provide critical aid to the people of Gaza” despite the “heinous attack,” stated that “tonight, the world must see this for what it is: an attack on humanity.” 

“We call on the international community to immediately condemn Hamas for this unprovoked attack and continued threat against our people simply trying to feed the Palestinian people,” it said. 

The group, which is independent of the United Nations and tries to deliver aid to Palestinians without Hamas stealing the supplies, has endured threats from the terror group before, it said. 

“This attack did not happen in a vacuum,” it said. “For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers, and the civilians who receive aid from us. These threats were met with silence.” 

“The GHF holds Hamas fully responsible for taking the lives of our dedicated workers, who have been distributing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people at the foundation’s sites in central and southern Gaza,” it said.

 Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, told JNS that “we are monitoring closely concerning reports of Hamas once again doing whatever it can to thwart humanitarian distribution efforts.” 

“The Hamas terrorist regime has zero care for Israelis and, as we continue to see, has zero care for the people of Gaza,” the ambassador told JNS. “It’s why they launch terrorist attacks from urban settings and civilian infrastructure.” 

AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] stated that “Hamas murdered Palestinian aid workers who were distributing food to Gazans.” 

“The terrorists are targeting and killing Palestinians to try to preserve their despicable aid profit machine,” AIPAC said. “Anyone who has called for more aid to Gazans must loudly and unequivocally condemn Hamas.” 

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, wrote, “Hamas killing Palestinians working to deliver aid to Palestinians. Will this get reported? Don’t hold your breath.” 

David May, research manager and a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, stated that “the perverse incentives of the international community will punish the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for having its staff murdered and reward Hamas for doing the murdering.”

“Hamas had threatened the GHF for weeks, and the world called to restore the aid channels Hamas was stealing from,” May said.

 The foundation noted that earlier in the day, it brought about 2.5 million meals into the enclave—its largest single-day delivery to date.