A group of Democratic senators sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday, urging an immediate halt to funding for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The letter also calls for the return of Gaza aid distribution to the United Nations, which had historically overseen the process until GHF took over operations in May.
The letter, spearheaded by Senator Chris Van Hollen and addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, criticized the U.S. administration’s $30 million pledge to the GHF. The senators described the organization as a “private entity backed by mercenaries and the IDF,” accusing it of turning aid distribution sites into “death traps” due to violent incidents, including the shooting of Palestinian civilians desperate for food and medical supplies.
According to the letter, over 1,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed and more than 5,000 wounded since GHF assumed control, with many of the casualties occurring while trying to receive humanitarian aid.
The GHF is led by American evangelical leader Johnnie Moore, a vocal supporter of Israel and ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The foundation employs private security contractors—mostly American nationals—some of whom have come under intense scrutiny following video footage that emerged earlier this month. The video shows men firing weapons near crowds of Palestinians attempting to access aid. One voice off-screen is heard saying, “I think we hit one.”
Further controversy erupted after retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer Anthony Aguilar, a former contractor with GHF, gave an interview to the BBC detailing what he described as war crimes by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Aguilar recounted witnessing IDF forces firing a tank shell into a crowd, destroying a civilian vehicle fleeing an aid site, and using mortar rounds to disperse people. “Without question, I witnessed war crimes by the Israeli Defense Forces,” he said. Aguilar stated he resigned over the abuses and denied the GHF’s claim that he was terminated for misconduct.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, an average of 10 people per day are dying from hunger. Some medical experts now warn that the famine may have reached irreversible levels, as severely malnourished individuals are reportedly losing the ability to digest food even when it becomes available.
In response to mounting international criticism, Israel announced on Saturday that it would implement daily 10-hour “pauses” in densely populated areas to allow for humanitarian access. During these windows, Israel, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates have begun conducting airdrops of aid, while Egypt has resumed delivering supplies via land routes.