Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeA Palestinian woman carries a box as people seek aid supplies from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in the central Gaza Strip, earlier this month. Credit: Stringer/ReutersA Palestinian woman carries a box as people seek aid supplies from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in the central Gaza Strip, earlier this month. Credit: Stringer/ReutersAugust 21, 2025Updated:August 18, 2025The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced this week that it has begun allowing families from the Gaza Strip to reserve food packages in advance.Registration includes issuing a card with a photo of one family member and an identification number. According to a statement released on Monday, 350 residents have already signed up for the pilot program at the distribution center in Rafah's Saudi neighborhood.As part of the initiative, residents who register and receive a photo card will be able to secure food assistance in advance for designated days, thereby avoiding the overcrowding at distribution points, the foundation said.The GHF noted that the way aid centers currently operate often results in able-bodied men bypassing women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities in line. "First-come, first-served," the organization said. To address this, the GHF has designated specific distribution days for women and launched a pilot program for direct food delivery to residents through community representatives.On Wednesday, Gaza's Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry called on residents not to register for GHF aid. "This notorious organization plays a security and intelligence role under the guise of humanitarian work," the ministry said, accusing the foundation of "recruiting citizens to collaborate with Israeli security services."In a press briefing on Wednesday, GHF officials confirmed that the foundation has begun working with the international evangelical relief group Samaritan's Purse. This marks the first openly acknowledged partnership between GHF and an international humanitarian organization. The foundation is led by evangelical pastor Johnny Moore. Its CEO, John Akery, said it is not yet clear when humanitarian operations will expand or where new centers may be established.Last week, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Haaretz that GHF's operations would expand once additional funding is secured. In an earlier interview with Fox News, he said the foundation intends to open 12 more centers in Gaza and significantly extend their operating hours. Huckabee made the remarks after visiting one of GHF's centers earlier this month with Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.We are proud to launch a new system enabling Gazan families to reserve and guarantee aid parcels in advance.