Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: An airstrike carried out by an Israeli drone targeted the Syrian Defense Ministry building in the capital, Damascus.
Local Syrian sources: A doctor was killed while trying to reach the government hospital in the city of Sweida.
Syrian local sources: The National Hospital in Sweida is currently out of service due to the siege it is facing.
Syrian local sources: Medical staff at the National Hospital in Sweida appeal for intervention after it was besieged and its electricity, water, and food were cut off.
Syrian Rejal al-Karamah (Men of Dignity) movement: What happened was a dangerous escalation that threatens civil peace and undermines the trust that authorities have worked hard to establish.
Rejal al-Karamah (Men of Dignity) movement: We condemn in the strongest terms the brutal attack on the city of Sweida and Jabal al-Arab by the Damascus government.
Maduro: We reaffirm that Palestine has the right to exist, resist, and live freely in a fully sovereign state with East al-Quds as its capital.
Maduro: Every bomb dropped on a Palestinian hospital, school, or home not only kills innocent lives but also destroys the foundations of world peace.
Maduro: What we are witnessing today in Gaza and throughout Palestine is not a conflict between equal parties, but rather a systematic plan to destroy a people and eradicate their identity.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the Bogota summit: We raise our voices firmly outraged at the world's silence in the face of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinians.

US distances itself from Gaza aid group under scrutiny

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 29 May 2025 11:18
4 Min Read

The US- and Israeli-backed GHF faces criticism over a disorganized food aid rollout, unclear leadership, and accusations of politicizing humanitarian aid.

Listen
  • x
  • US distances itself from Gaza aid group under scrutiny
    Displaced Palestinians carrying bags of relief supplies return from aid distribution centers in Rafah to their tents in the southern Gaza Strip on May 29, 2025 (AFP)

After being publicly endorsed by US officials, the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has come under sharp scrutiny due to a chaotic aid distribution rollout, opaque leadership, and growing allegations of politicizing humanitarian assistance amid the ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza, The Guardian reported.

The GHF initially promised to restore large-scale food deliveries to the Gaza Strip, claiming it would mitigate conditions nearing famine. However, the first days of its operation have instead been marked by disorder. Leaked video footage and on-the-ground reports showed large crowds storming a distribution point, prompting Israeli forces to fire what they called “warning shots” to disperse civilians.

Gaza health officials reported that at least one civilian was killed and 48 injured during the incident. GHF, however, denied any casualties, claiming instead that 14,550 food boxes, equating to over 840,000 meals, had been distributed.

Another video documents the chaos as a result of the GHF's first day of operation in #Gaza.

It's worth mentioning that the Israeli-backed group had bypassed humanitarian norms and mechanisms and employed a #US private company to maintain "security. pic.twitter.com/Tc7sWgtvgR

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 27, 2025

Read more: Switzerland considers probe into role of US-backed Gaza aid group

Leadership crisis, resignations within GHF

The leadership structure of GHF has become increasingly unclear. Jake Wood, a former US Marine who initially led the group, resigned on Sunday, citing ethical concerns.

It "is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon,” Wood said in a public statement. He was succeeded on an interim basis by John Acree, a former senior official at USAID.

Related News

China backs Iran’s nuclear rights, calls for diplomacy over force

Sheikh al-Hijri appeals to US, 'Israel' to stop ‘genocide’ in Sweida

Companies tied to the GHF in Geneva and Delaware are reportedly being dissolved, according to a GHF spokesperson quoted in investigative Israeli media, further deepening uncertainty over the organization’s legal and financial foundations.

Criticism from UN, EU, and humanitarian agencies

Humanitarian organizations, including the UN, have refused to collaborate with GHF. Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, criticized the distribution point as a “militarized" site built on the rubble of people’s homes and said tens of thousands of desperate civilians had come under fire.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, condemned the effort as an example of humanitarian aid being “weaponized”, adding that the EU opposed the privatization of aid delivery.

Read more: Israeli Gaza aid plan violates humanitarian law: Russian UN Envoy

GHF: A plan originating from Israeli officials

According to reports in The New York Times, the concept behind the GHF originated from Israeli officials during the early weeks of the war on Gaza, aimed at undermining the authority of Hamas. Allegations have also surfaced about links between GHF and private US security contractors.

US distances itself from GHF

The US State Department has attempted to distance itself from the organization. “This is not a State Department effort. We don’t have a plan,” said spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a recent press briefing.

She added that inquiries should be directed to GHF, which did not respond to requests for comment on its current leadership, legal status, or ties to US contractors.

In a written statement sent to The Guardian, GHF defended its efforts, blaming “acute hunger and Hamas-imposed blockades” for pressure at the distribution sites, completely refraining from addressing the role of "Israel" in restricting aid.

“Unfortunately, there are many parties who wish to see GHF fail,” the organization added.

Read more: West shifts tone on Gaza, but action remains absent: The Guardian

  • United States
  • Gaza Strip
  • GHF
  • Palestine
  • Israel
  • Gaza genocide
  • Gaza

Most Read

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025
An Israeli soldier abandons an excavator during an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades. Arabic text reads "The moment the soldier fled", July, 10, 2025 (Al Qassam Military Media)

Israeli media rue al-Qassam footage, alarmed by fighters among troops

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after an Iranian attack at the al Udeid Airbase outside of Doha, Qatar, June 25, 2025 (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Satellite images show Iran attack damaged US comms dome in Qatari base

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025
Ukraine’s Corporate Carve-Up Collapses?

Ukraine’s Corporate Carve-Up Collapses?

  • Analysis
  • 11 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Syrian government forces deploy at the Mazraa village on the outskirts of city of Sweida, where clashes erupted between Bedouin clans and Druze factions, southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Gulf-backed negotiations underway in Syria's Sweida to end clashes

UN: 798 Palestinians killed while trying to reach aid in Gaza
Palestine

UN: 798 Palestinians killed trying to reach aid in Gaza

A damaged car is seen at a field that was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Nabi Sheet village, in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, Wednesday, August 21, 2024 (AP)
Politics

Hezbollah condemns Israeli Bekaa massacre, urges Leb. authority action

Palestinians walk next to the closed humanitarian aid distribution center of UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime cuts electricity, water supplies to UNRWA Gaza offices

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS