GHF Staff Could Face War Crimes Charges Over Gaza Aid Deaths, Warns Rights Lawyer

A prominent human rights lawyer has warned that staff of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the group operating Gaza’s heavily militarized and increasingly deadly aid distribution program, could be held criminally responsible for war crimes. The warning follows shocking reports that Israeli forces have been firing on unarmed Palestinians gathering for aid — resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from London, Kate Mackintosh, executive director of the UCLA Law Promise Institute Europe, said there’s a growing legal case against GHF employees who continue to work at distribution hubs where civilians are being killed.

“It’s very unclear why these people are being targeted and killed,” Mackintosh said. “But I think it’s pretty clear that these are unarmed civilians who are desperately trying to get food for their families. Firing upon people in that situation, prima facie, is a war crime.”

Awareness Could Mean Liability

Mackintosh emphasized that even if GHF staff are not directly involved in the violence, they could still be held accountable under international criminal law — simply by being aware of the risks and continuing operations without taking steps to prevent harm.

“If they’re aware that this is going to happen — or even, in some jurisdictions, if they’re aware of the substantial risk of this happening — then they could be held criminally liable for participating in those crimes,” she said.

Her warning draws attention to a critical legal principle: complicity in war crimes does not require active involvement. Knowing about ongoing crimes and continuing to enable or support those operations, even logistically or financially, may be enough to trigger criminal responsibility.

This could open the door to investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) or other national jurisdictions under universal jurisdiction laws — especially if diplomatic protections begin to wear thin under growing public scrutiny.

US Funding Adds Pressure on Accountability

The GHF has already come under fire for its handling of the Gaza aid centers, with over 549 civilians reportedly killed near these hubs since late May, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The revelations that Israeli soldiers were ordered to fire on these unarmed civilians have sparked outrage globally.

What adds more weight to Mackintosh’s warning is the recent US decision to approve $30 million in funding to support GHF’s operations — despite the mounting evidence of systematic violence. Human rights groups argue that this funding could further entangle GHF staff, and even American officials, in legal and moral culpability.

“Even if their intentions are humanitarian,” Mackintosh noted, “they must consider the consequences of continuing operations that have consistently led to mass civilian casualties.”

As international scrutiny intensifies, calls for accountability are growing louder. If the warnings from experts like Mackintosh are ignored, the GHF and its supporters may soon find themselves not just in the court of public opinion — but in an actual courtroom.

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