The United States and the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced the permanent wind down of its operations, following the closure of its distribution sites six weeks prior. The foundation had previously stated it had fulfilled its mission of demonstrating an alternative method for delivering aid to Gaza. It began operations in late May, nearly three months after Israel halted food deliveries to the region, which had pushed the population toward famine. The foundation claimed to have delivered over 3 million food boxes, amounting to 187 million meals, to Gaza. Its closure followed a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect six weeks earlier.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had operated under secrecy, not disclosing its sources of funding or details about the armed contractors who managed the sites. It asserted that its goal was to prevent aid from being diverted by Hamas. However, Palestinians, aid workers, and health officials reported that individuals attempting to reach the sites faced risks from Israeli troops who secured the locations. Witnesses and social media videos documented instances where soldiers opened fire, resulting in fatalities. The Israeli military maintained that it only used warning shots or fired in self-defense.
The foundation stated that its operations would be handed over to the U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center, which oversees the Gaza ceasefire. GHF said it had been in discussions with the CMCC and international organizations for weeks, and that the CMCC would adopt and expand the model it had piloted. A U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson confirmed that GHF had shared lessons learned with the U.S. and its partners. The United Nations had opposed the foundation’s creation, arguing that it allowed Israel to control food distribution and could lead to Palestinian displacement.