Humanitarian Foundation: We have delivered over 1.8 million meals to Gaza so far

(Patria) - A private aid distributor in Gaza, supported by both the US and Israel, opened a third location yesterday and announced there will be more in the coming weeks, at a time when thousands of Palestinians are desperately seeking food supplies.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations this week, marked by chaotic scenes on Tuesday when thousands of people broke through fences and forced private security guards to retreat.

The chaotic start to the operation has increased international pressure on Israel to deliver more food and stop the fighting in Gaza, with new US proposals reportedly being considered by Hamas.

The GHF confirmed yesterday that it has opened a third distribution point in Gaza and has delivered just over 1.8 million meals so far. More distribution points are expected to open in the coming weeks.

The new system has been sharply criticized by the United Nations and other humanitarian groups as an inadequate and flawed response to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's 11-week blockade of aid into Gaza.

The United Nations has said that the amount of aid arriving is still far below what is needed to alleviate the risk of starvation for more than two million people in the enclave.

UN officials have stated that before the war, at least 500 to 600 trucks of aid and commercial goods per day were needed to supply Gaza.

UN envoy for the Middle East Sigrid Kaag compared the amount of aid Israel has allowed so far to a "lifeboat after a shipwreck.".