Blurring the lines between humanitarian aid and military operations, as is currently happening in Gaza, is not only illegal and unethical — it is also deeply ineffective, harmful, and puts civilians and aid workers at greater risk.
As someone who has worked in global health and humanitarian aid for over 20 years — including in conflict-affected regions and alongside military forces — I’ve seen the critical difference between aid delivered by humanitarian principles and aid used for military aims. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid distribution operation is a tragic illustration of the harmful outcomes of mixing humanitarian and military operations.
The U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was established only months ago as a militarized, opaque, and ethically compromised aid system. From the outset, it was clear for many of us in the humanitarian sector that this model would undermine humanitarian principles, force mass displacement, and endanger civilians — forcing those still able to walk to travel miles through Gaza’s ruins to fenced-in distribution sites, all south of Gaza City.
About the author
Alexander Smith
Alexander Smith is a lawyer and former USAID senior adviser with over 20 years of experience in global health, human rights, and international law. He has advised United Nations agencies, the International Criminal Court, and other international tribunals on issues of global health, starvation and deprivation, legal accountability, and human rights in conflict and crisis settings.
