Israel-Hamas War: How to help humanitarian efforts in Israel, Gaza

Many people around the world have been affected by the war going on between Israel and Hamas over the last week. Many are looking for ways to help those who are directly impacted by what is going on by donating to charities working in the area.

>> Read more trending news

As the deadly fighting between Israel and the Hamas militants continues, a humanitarian crisis in the area is intensifying. More than 1,300 people have been killed in Israel and at least 1,900 people have been killed in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel last Saturday, according to CNN.

Hospitals in the areas have been overwhelmed and 400,000 people have been displaced in Gaza. According to CNN, Gaza is one of the most “densely populated areas on Earth.”

The fighting has created a large need for humanitarian relief. The International Committee of the Red Cross is asking for protection for its humanitarian workers, civilians and buildings in the region, CNN reported. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières is “urging restraint after medical facilities have been destroyed in the fighting.”

Verifying charities

The Federal Trade Commission recommends searching the internet for the name of any charity before you donate with the words “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” “fraud” and “scam,’ CNBC reported.

“You want your donations to count, so it’s important to do some research before giving to a charity. Here are some things you can do to learn more about a charity and avoid donating to a scam,” the FTC said on its website.

“If you find bad reviews, it might be best to find another organization,” the FTC said.

The FTC recommends using CharityWatch or Charity Navigator to learn more about the charities.

Five things to do before donating, according to the FTC, include searching online, check charity’s website, use an organization to research charities, find out the charities are registered and see if the donation is tax deductible.

More information about verifying charities can be found on the FTC’s website.

Some of the charities, organizations working in Israel, Gaza

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is helped to provide emergency services to victims in Israel, according to CNBC. Americans Friends of Magen David Adom which is known as the Israeli Red Cross and Palestine Children’s Relief Fund are some of the organizations in the region that have a track record of getting positive results.

Doctors Without Borders has had its own medical programs in Gaza for more than 20 years, CEO and executive director of CharityWatch Laurie Styron said, according to CNBC.

IsraAID is the largest humanitarian aid organization in Israel, NPR reported. It is collection donations through the Emergency Response Fund.

United Hatzalah of Israel is an independent, non-profit, fully volunteer emergency medical service organization based in Israel, ABC News reported. They are reportedly the fastest emergency medical service throughout the country.

“In this state of emergency -- unlike anything Israel has experienced since the Yom Kippur War-- Israel needs your urgent support,” the group said, according to ABC News. ”Launching an emergency appeal to raise funds for what it described as desperately needed supplies, including protective vests, helmets, oxygen tanks, defibrillators, trauma bandages and tourniquets.

UNICEF is another humanitarian group that works in some of the hardest places in the world in order to “to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children,” UNICEF’s website said, according to ABC News.

Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director said that she is “deeply concerned” about the lack of running water and electricity in Gaza, ABC News reported.

To make a donation via Pledge through CNN, visit Pledge’s website. The donations will be split into multiple nonprofits including American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, Global Empowerment Mission, and many others.