US Approves $30 Million for Controversial Gaza Aid Group Backed by Israel, Despite Mounting Civilian Deaths
Wafric News – June 27, 2025
Washington, D.C. – The United States government has authorized $30 million in funding for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — a controversial aid group backed by Israel — even as international concern deepens over the killing of hundreds of Palestinians near its food distribution points in the besieged Gaza Strip.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced the funding on Thursday, urging other countries to support the GHF and calling its role “critical.” But rights defenders and humanitarian observers say the group’s operations are anything but neutral — and may be enabling violations of international law.
Aid or Aiding Occupation?
Established in May under pressure to respond to Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis, the GHF emerged as a workaround to growing calls for Israel to end its total blockade on Gaza. The blockade has driven over two million people to the brink of famine, with children and the elderly among the most at risk.
However, the GHF’s structure — openly coordinated with Israeli forces and supplemented by armed US private contractors — has sparked backlash. Global aid agencies, including the United Nations, have refused to partner with the foundation, calling it a violation of the basic tenets of humanitarian independence and neutrality.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, at least 549 Palestinians have been killed at or near GHF distribution sites. Footage from the ground shows chaotic scenes: Palestinians being shot at while trying to collect food, trucks running over desperate aid-seekers, and mass casualties in areas that should offer sanctuary.
Despite this, GHF leadership insists it is fulfilling a vital mission. Interim director John Acree welcomed the US aid package, saying: “It’s time for unity and collaboration,” and called on other organizations to join their operations.
But to many Palestinians on the ground, the GHF offers not relief — but terror.
'We Found Only Death'
Atar Riyad, a father of eight from northern Gaza now displaced in Gaza City, recounted the horror he faced trying to access food near GHF centers.
“I went with hope, but all I saw was death,” Riyad told WafricNews via partner sources in the region. “I watched trucks crush people. I saw young men lying in pools of blood. My best friend died trying to bring flour home to his children.”
His story is one of hundreds, as the population continues to struggle not only with war and displacement, but with the risks tied to simply seeking food.
Legal Experts Raise Alarm on War Crimes
International legal scholars have now weighed in, warning that GHF staff and associated personnel could face war crimes charges.
Kate Mackintosh, director at the UCLA Promise Institute Europe, said there is a strong case to be made for criminal liability. “These are unarmed civilians being targeted while trying to survive,” she explained. “Under international humanitarian law, firing upon civilians in these conditions is a prima facie war crime.”
She added that any GHF personnel aware of the risks — or who should reasonably foresee such dangers — may be seen as complicit.
US Support Amid Political Realignment
The funding comes as part of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s revived “peace strategy” in the Middle East — a plan increasingly criticized for prioritizing military-aligned aid models and sidelining multilateral UN efforts.
Pigott dismissed criticism, claiming the GHF has already distributed 46 million meals, and called it “absolutely incredible” — words many say ring hollow against the backdrop of Gaza’s suffering.
More Bloodshed Amid Aid Chaos
Just hours before the US funding was announced, an Israeli airstrike hit a crowd waiting for flour in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, killing 18 people. Witnesses say they were awaiting aid that had been seized from looters by local police.
The targeted security team — part of a Hamas-led initiative involving multiple Palestinian factions — had been trying to restore order to food convoys frequently looted by gangs or mobbed by starving crowds.
Israel claims the force was tied to Hamas control efforts and thus a legitimate target — a justification rights groups reject when civilian lives are lost en masse.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
As GHF expands with US dollars and official endorsements, trust among Palestinians continues to erode. With aid now intertwined with military logistics and deadly outcomes, residents are left asking: who truly benefits — and who pays the price?
WafricNews will continue to monitor developments from Gaza and the broader region.
By WafricNews Desk.
By WafricNews Desk.
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