Piles of humanitarian aid packages from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation wait to be picked up on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 24, 2025. OHAD ZWIGENBERG / AP
A controversial US- and Israel-backed company that provided aid to Gaza said Monday it would shutter operations. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had already closed distribution sites after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect six weeks ago in Gaza. It announced Monday that it was permanently shutting down, claiming it had fulfilled its mission. "We have succeeded in our mission of showing there’s a better way to deliver aid to Gazans, GHF director John Acree said in a statement.
The operations of the GHF were shrouded in secrecy during its short time in operation. Launched with US and Israeli backing as an alternative to the United Nations, the group never revealed its sources of funding and little about the armed contractors who operated the sites. It said its goal was to deliver aid to Gaza without it being diverted by Hamas.
Palestinians, aid workers and health officials have said the system forced aid-seekers to risk their lives to reach the sites by passing Israeli troops who secured the locations. Soldiers often opened fire, killing hundreds, according to witnesses and videos posted to social media. The Israeli military says it only fired warning shots as a crowd-control measure or if its troops were in danger.
