As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and global criticism mounts, the United States is expanding its aid distribution operations in the besieged enclave, while a top EU official has publicly accused Israel of actions resembling genocide. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed that the American-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (G.H.F.) will increase its presence from four to sixteen distribution sites amid rising famine. At the same time, European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera declared that Israel’s starvation tactics and attacks on civilians “look very much” like genocide — marking one of the EU’s sharpest rebukes since the conflict began.

U.S. Pushes Gaza Aid Through G.H.F.

In a Fox News interview, Ambassador Huckabee said the G.H.F. — a U.S.-backed initiative conceived by Israelis and operated by American contractors — would soon operate 16 sites, some functioning 24 hours a day. The U.S. allocated $30 million to the foundation in June, with President Trump calling for expanded efforts to bypass Hamas and deliver aid “directly” to Palestinians.

“The president has been telling us he wants food into the hands of hungry people but he wants it in a way that it doesn’t get into the hands of Hamas,” Huckabee said.

However, the foundation’s approach has drawn condemnation. The UN has boycotted the G.H.F., arguing it violates core humanitarian principles. Since its launch in May, local health officials report hundreds of deaths near G.H.F. sites—incidents tied to Israeli “warning shots” at aid-seeking crowds.

The U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), set up to bypass Hamas and deliver aid directly, is facing mounting criticism after reports of dozens of Palestinian deaths near its distribution sites.

Aid groups and local officials say Israeli forces have fired on crowds seeking food, turning GHF locations into what some now call “death traps.” The UN has boycotted the initiative, citing violations of humanitarian principles.

EU Official: Israeli Actions ‘Look Very Much Like Genocide’

In a rare and forceful critique, European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera said that Israel’s conduct in Gaza — including the denial of food, medicine, and shelter while bombing fleeing civilians — “looks very much” like genocide.

“What we are seeing is a concrete population being targeted, killed and condemned to starve to death,” Ribera told POLITICO, adding that any humanity is “absent” and no witnesses are allowed.

Though the EU as a whole has stopped short of using the term genocide, Ribera’s remarks add pressure on European leaders to act. She proposed suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement and criticized Germany and Italy for blocking even symbolic measures against Israel.

“If it is not genocide, it looks very much like the definition used to express its meaning,” she said.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The World Food Program warned this week that Gaza has reached “astonishing levels of desperation,” with one-third of the population not eating for multiple days. WFP chief Cindy McCain posted, “We can’t airdrop our way out of an unfolding famine.

Despite U.S. claims that the G.H.F. ensures aid bypasses Hamas, critics argue the militarized presence near its sites — and lack of coordination with the UN — has led to more chaos, not less.

Mounting Political and Moral Pressure

While some EU countries, including Spain and France, have pushed for Palestinian state recognition and a tougher line on Israel, others — notably Germany — maintain close ties with the Netanyahu government. Ribera warned that continued EU inaction “feeds disillusionment and creates fertile ground for cynicism and populism.”

With famine looming and ceasefire talks stalled, the United States and European Union now face mounting demands to hold Israel accountable and coordinate meaningful humanitarian relief.