THE UNITED STATES has approved its first direct funding for a controversial Israeli-supported relief effort in the Gaza Strip and urged other countries to follow suit.

“We have approved funding for $30 million to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). And we call on other countries to also support the GHF and its critical work,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told reporters.

Starting in March, Israel blocked deliveries of food and other crucial supplies into Gaza for more than two months, leading to warnings of famine in the territory widely flattened by Israeli bombing since the 7 October, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by armed US contractors with the Israeli troops on the perimeter, began operations at the end of May that have been marred by chaotic scenes, deaths and neutrality concerns.

The Gaza health ministry says that since late May, nearly 550 people have been killed near aid centres while seeking scarce supplies.

Israeli forces have on a number of occasions opened fire on crowds of hungry people who were making their way to distribution points operated by the GHF. 

The first deadly incident happened on the morning of Sunday, 25 May, when 31 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire, according to the Gaza Civil Defence agency.

The GHF has denied that deadly incidents have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points.

There are often full internet blackouts in Gaza, but the GHF informs people in the region about the operation of distribution centres on Facebook with little advance notice.

Major aid groups and the United Nations have refused to work with the officially private group, saying it violates basic humanitarian principles by coordinating delivery with troops.

UN rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan warned this week of “scenes of chaos around the food distribution points” of the GHF.

Since the organisation began operating, “the Israeli military has shelled and shot Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points, leading to many fatalities”, he said.

Kheetan cautioned that the system “endangers civilians and contributes to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza”.

“The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime, and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law,” he added.

The man who was initially heading up the organisation, US military veteran Jake Wood, resigned the day before it began operating in Gaza, citing similar concerns to those expressed by the UN. 

A former USAID contractor, John Acree, took over as John Wood’s interim replacement and evangelical preacher and former Trump campaign advisor was named Reverend Johnnie Moore was named the new chairman earlier this month.

Asked about the criticism of the operation, Pigott said that the 46 million meals the group says it has so far distributed are “absolutely incredible” and “should be applauded.”

“From day one, we said we are open to creative solutions that securely provide aid to those in Gaza and protects Israel,” Pigott said.

The financial support to the GHF is part of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s “pursuit of peace in the region,” he said.

-With additional reporting from © AFP 2025