At least eight Palestinian aid workers affiliated with the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were killed in a deadly ambush on Wednesday night, the organization reported, blaming Hamas militants for the attack that has further disrupted food distribution efforts in the region.
The bus, carrying around two dozen GHF staff members en route to a southern Gaza aid center, came under heavy gunfire, leaving many injured and raising fears that some may have been abducted.
In a separate update, Gaza’s health authorities stated that Israeli strikes killed 103 people and wounded 400 others in the last 24 hours, including 21 individuals near GHF facilities earlier on Thursday.
GHF’s interim director, John Acree, condemned the attack but announced that the foundation would remain operational despite safety concerns.
“We believe the most powerful response to Hamas’ brutal assault is to continue our mission — delivering essential food to those in need,” he said in a statement.
Hamas has not commented on the incident.
Social media reports in Gaza suggest the attack may have been aimed at workers allegedly linked to Yasser Abu Shabab, head of a prominent clan that opposes Hamas and is reportedly supported by Israel. Abu Shabab, in a Facebook post, criticized what he called “false propaganda” and “fear tactics” by Hamas, claiming the group was targeting dissenters to cling to power.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military reported killing three Hamas militants who had fired an anti-tank missile and struck a weapons production site near a medical center. Additionally, Israeli forces claimed to have detained Hamas operatives in Syria who were allegedly planning attacks on Israeli targets.
Israel’s military campaign, now in its 20th month, continues following the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing conflict. Diplomatic efforts to end the war have so far failed.
Despite the ambush, GHF reported the distribution of a record 2.6 million meals on Thursday, part of a controversial new aid model that has faced criticism from the United Nations.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), condemned the system as inadequate to address the humanitarian crisis.
“The growing hunger cannot be normalized. We must not allow this dystopian aid model to define the new reality,” he said on social media, urging for greater support for established humanitarian agencies.
Israel, however, continues to accuse UNRWA of links to Hamas — an allegation the agency denies.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 180 Palestinians have died near aid distribution points in recent weeks amid chaos and desperation over limited food supplies. Israel has challenged these figures, blaming Hamas for the unrest.
Alongside GHF’s operations, Israel has also allowed limited humanitarian aid, including flour deliveries for operational bakeries. In a rare development, 56 trucks from the UN’s World Food Programme were permitted to directly enter northern Gaza overnight — the first such delivery in months to the heavily damaged region.
