Scandal-plagued Gaza Humanitarian Foundation officially ends 'mission'

The Israeli and US-backed aid distribution organisation that has caused death and injury to over 2,600 Palestinians in Gaza announced the end of its "mission" in Gaza, according to a statement by its executive director on Monday. 

The Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) closed its sites in October after the United Nations and other NGOs were allowed to resume deliveries in the war-torn enclave, which has been recognised as a genocide by the UN. 

Speaking about GHF’s four-and-a-half-month deadly stint in Gaza, executive director John Acree said in a statement that the organisation had set new standards in aid delivery, despite widespread criticism of the organisation by the world's most reputable aid distribution networks.

“This mission was designed to show that humanitarian aid can be delivered efficiently, safely, and transparently even in the most challenging conflict zones,” Acree said.

“With the support of the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) and the broader international community, we have successfully demonstrated a new standard for aid operations in Gaza.” 

Acree, who was previously director of USAID's stabilisation office in Afghanistan, said the CMCC would be "adopting and expanding" the model that GHF set out.

"As a result, we are winding down our operations as we have succeeded in our mission of showing there's a better way to deliver aid to Gazans," he said. GHF said it was established only as a "temporary emergency initiative".

The privately-funded GHF took control of aid distribution in the enclave in late May after Israel imposed a total blockade on all humanitarian and commercial supplies from 2 March onwards. Almost three months later, when GHF set up militarised operations, starvation was widespread in Gaza as supplies were in short supply or non-existent.  

Experienced NGOs and aid distributors expressed concern about both GHF’s delivery model and the complete lack of experience in delivering aid. 

‘Death traps’

Unlike other NGOs, GHF did not directly provide aid to people in need. Instead, it opened four distribution sites in the south of the Gaza Strip and required people in the enclave to travel there, even if it meant walking for days to get there. It was especially challenging for those in the north, where there were no food distribution services. 

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If people did not fall sick or die while travelling there, they were at risk of being injured or killed trying to obtain aid at the sites where armed Israeli soldiers and US security contractors operated.  

According to whistleblowers such as Anthony Aguilar, other witnesses and videos shared to social media, many Palestinians were said to have been deliberately shot by Israeli soldiers or US security contractors hired by the GHF, after following direct orders from their superiors. 

Despite this, thousands of Palestinians braved going to GHF sites every day to obtain food for themselves and their families, until a ceasefire was reached on 10 October.

Gaza's health ministry reported that, in addition to over 2,600 Palestinians who were killed, at least 19,182 were injured while trying to get aid while GHF operated.

The GHF has denied that anyone was killed at their sites and says the UN figures on the number of aid seekers killed are "false and misleading", saying that it only fired warning shots at aid seekers.

Questions still surround GHF, including its funding sources. In August, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit seeking records from the Trump administration on its funding for GHF.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed and wounded more than 245,000 Palestinians to date, the majority of whom are civilians. 

Reports released in August and based on Israeli military intelligence data indicate that more than 80 percent of those killed through May of this year were civilians.