For the first time since the start of the U.S.-led Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Gaza , two American aid workers were injured while distributing food in the Strip on Saturday.
According to the organization, initial indications suggest the incident was the result of a hostile act by Hamas, and officials are examining the possibility that operatives from the terror group threw a grenade at them.
Shortly after initial reports, GHF issued a statement, saying, "This morning, two American aid workers were injured in a targeted terrorist attack during food distribution activities at SDS-3 in Khan Younis. The attack – which preliminary information indicates was carried out by two assailants who threw two grenades at the Americans – occurred at the conclusion of an otherwise successful distribution in which thousands of Gazans safely received food. No local aid workers or civilians were harmed."
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"The injured Americans are receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition. We are grateful their injuries are not life-threatening and ask the public to keep them and their families in their thoughts and prayers. GHF has repeatedly warned of credible threats from Hamas, including explicit plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers, and the civilians who rely on our sites for food. Today’s attack tragically affirms those warnings," it added.
"Despite this violence, GHF remains fully committed to its mission: feeding the people of Gaza safely, directly, and at scale. Attempts to disrupt this life-saving work will only deepen the crisis. We will continue to stand with the people of Gaza and do everything in our power to deliver the aid they so urgently need."
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee responded to the incident, saying, “With Hamas no good deed goes unpunished.” While there have been previous incidents where GHF workers were harmed by Hamas actions, this marks the first time American personnel have been among the injured.
The future of GHF’s operations remains uncertain even if a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas are reached. The current agreement states that aid will be delivered “via agreed-upon channels, including the UN and the Red Crescent,” but does not explicitly mention GHF.
Hamas is demanding that the aid mechanism follow the framework established in the previous ceasefire, which excluded the American organization. However, Israel has made clear it will not agree to removing GHF from Gaza — and neither will the United States, which just announced a new $30 million contribution to the fund.