Following the successful delivery of more than 187 million complimentary meals to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which Hamas was prevented from stealing, the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced Monday it is moving its work to other humanitarian agencies, Fox News Digital disclosed.
The organization's operation began on May 26 to make certain meals reached the local population and to prevent Hamas terrorists from diverting goods. GHF also noted the distribution of "more than 1.1 million packs of ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) for malnourished children."
The GHF executive director, John Acree, confirmed in a statement to Fox News Digital that the foundation's original objective – to address an immediate necessity and establish a successful alternative to prior failed approaches before handing it over to the wider global community – has been met. He believes that goal is now achieved, with the establishment of the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) and the renewed commitment of the international humanitarian sector. Acree further explained that international organizations and CMCC "will be adopting and expanding the model GHF piloted. 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."
Their mission, which was focused solely on feeding civilians, built a functioning new model that "worked, saved lives and restored dignity to civilians in Gaza," he said. Former US service members, humanitarians, local Gazan workers, and partners like Samaritan's Purse, were part of the dedicated team that "risked their lives to feed the people in Gaza amidst an active war conflict." Reports indicated that United Nations aid organizations, allegedly compromised by corruption and support for Hamas terrorism, resented the GHF's proven effectiveness.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has faced numerous criticisms since May concerning its operations, including claims of Gazans being injured and killed at distribution points; United Nations agencies and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) also accused the group of using aid as a weapon. For instance, the commissioner-general of UNRWA demanded in July that the GHF be shut down, asserting it "provides nothing but starvation and gunfire to the people of Gaza."
Fox News Digital received confirmation from a private source in August that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are "actively helping the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation get food into the hands of civilians while UN agencies, including WFP and OCHA, through their unwillingness to coordinate with the IDF, are inhibiting the distribution of such aid." This private source's "accusation is delusional," according to Stéphane Dujarric, the United Nations secretary general's spokesperson, as he told Fox News Digital at the time. The GHF responded to Fox News Digital that it "repeatedly offered to help UN agencies secure and distribute their aid to meet the need in Gaza while preventing looting and diversion. During its entire four-and-a-half months of operations, not a single GHF aid truck was looted."
Attributing its success to "the Trump administration's call for innovation and early confidence in our mission, recognizing that American leadership, clarity of purpose and accountability to results are still the international gold standard," the GHF believes "American-led solutions and compassion work." The group's leaders affirmed that it will not dissolve as a registered NGO and is prepared to restart its mission "if new humanitarian needs are identified." Acree concluded, "What our team will miss the most are the friendships and camaraderie developed with thousands of Gazans, especially the women and children we served. In early July, as the food security situation in Gaza improved, our operations stabilized, and we experienced a major shift in winning over the trust of aid seekers to the point where our aid sites became local hangout spots for women and children interacting with our team on a daily basis. We will miss them dearly."
