End of Controversial Aid Operations in Gaza: A Closer Look

Wed Nov 26 2025 10:59:10 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, supported by the US and Israel, has announced the winding down of its aid operations, raising concerns about its impact on the Palestinian population amidst a backdrop of controversy and conflict.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the US and Israel, has concluded its aid efforts in the region after facing significant criticism and operational challenges. With claims of unethical practices and increasing violence surrounding its distribution sites, the GHF's departure highlights the complexities of humanitarian aid in war-torn areas. Amidst allegations of thousands of Palestinian deaths during its operational period, calls for accountability and reevaluation of international aid approaches emerge as the GHF fades from the Gaza landscape.

The controversial, US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says it is winding down its aid operations in the Palestinian territory, after almost six months.

The organization had already suspended its three food distribution sites in Gaza after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect six weeks ago.

The GHF aimed to bypass the UN as the main supplier of aid to Gaza's population. UN and other aid agencies refused to cooperate with its system, saying it was unethical and unsafe.

Hundreds of Palestinians were killed while seeking food amid chaotic scenes near GHF's sites, mostly by Israeli fire, according to the UN. Israel said its troops fired warning shots.

The GHF said on Monday that it was winding down operations now because of the successful completion of its emergency mission, with a total of three million packages containing the equivalent of more than 187 million meals delivered to Palestinians.

The GHF's executive director, Jon Acree, also said the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) – which has been set up to help implement former President Trump's Gaza peace plan – would be adopting and expanding the model GHF piloted.

US state department spokesperson Tommy Piggott wrote on X: GHF's model, in which Hamas could no longer loot and profit from stealing aid, played a huge role in getting Hamas to the table and achieving a ceasefire.

Hamas – which denies stealing aid – welcomed the closure of the GHF. A Hamas spokesman remarked that GHF should be held accountable for the harm caused to Palestinians.

“We call upon all international human rights organizations to ensure that it does not escape accountability after causing the death and injury of thousands of Gazans and covering up the starvation policy practiced by the (Israeli) government,” Hazem Qassem stated on his Telegram channel.

The GHF began operations in Gaza on 26 May, a week after Israel had partially eased a total blockade on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and caused severe shortages of essential supplies. By August, a famine was declared in Gaza City.

The GHF's food distribution sites were operated by US private security contractors and located inside Israeli military zones.

The UN and its partners criticized GHF's methods, claiming that it contravened essential humanitarian principles of neutrality and safety. Throughout its operations, the UN reported that at least 859 Palestinians seeking food near GHF sites were killed, with additional fatalities linked to UN convoy routes.

The Israeli military noted that troops fired warning shots at individuals approaching them, but the GHF attributed the deaths to "false and misleading" statistics from Hamas-run health services.

With the GHF's recent shutdown, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed that it would not affect ongoing operations, as they had never cooperated with the GHF. Even with a ceasefire in place, the aid flowing into Gaza remains insufficient for the needs of its 2.1 million residents.