The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has announced that it will conclude its mission in the Gaza Strip after delivering over 187 million meals to Palestinians without interruption by Hamas. The organization, which launched its operation on May 26, stated that it has successfully provided over 1.1 million packs of ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) for malnourished children. GHF’s mission was to ensure that meals reached the Gazan population and to prevent Hamas from looting aid supplies.
GHF Executive Director John Acree stated that the organization’s goal was to meet an urgent need, prove that a new approach could succeed where others had failed, and ultimately hand off that success to the broader international community. With the creation of the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) and a rejuvenated engagement of the international humanitarian community, GHF believes that moment has now arrived. Acree explained that GHF has been in talks with CMCC and international organizations for weeks about the way forward, and it’s clear that they will be adopting and expanding the model GHF piloted.
Since its launch, GHF has faced numerous attacks and accusations over its operations, including claims that hundreds of Gazans were killed and injured at distribution sites. The United Nations and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also criticized GHF for what they said was its weaponization of aid. The commissioner-general of UNRWA called for an end to GHF, stating that it