Twenty-one Senate Democrats have called on Donald Trump to immediately cut funding to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an aid organisation they accuse of causing the deaths of more than 700 civilians and violating international humanitarian law. In a letter led by Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Peter Welch of Vermont, the lawmakers argued that GHF’s operations blur the lines between aid delivery and military security, breaching norms established by the Geneva Conventions.
According to the senators, eyewitness accounts and reports indicate that civilians seeking food at GHF distribution sites have been fired upon by tanks, drones, helicopters, and ground troops. The Trump administration authorised a $30 million grant to GHF in late June, with $7 million already disbursed. The organisation operates in coordination with the Israeli military and private US security contractors, prompting concerns over the use of live ammunition and stun grenades by American contractors.
Since launching in May, GHF’s four distribution sites have become deadly, with UN human rights officials reporting 766 people killed trying to access these sites and nearly 5,000 injured. More than 1,000 people have died overall while seeking food aid, and 100 are believed to have starved. The foundation’s founding executive director, Jake Wood, resigned in May, stating that the plan was incompatible with humanitarian principles. Boston Consulting Group also withdrew from the project.
The senators criticised the Trump administration for exempting GHF from standard oversight, including audits usually required for first-time USAID grant recipients. They noted that USAID officials had raised “critical concerns” about operational and reputational risks. Reports from the Associated Press and BBC News described US contractors using excessive force, with one veteran witnessing Israeli forces firing tank rounds into crowds. The foundation has denied violence at its sites, attributing allegations to Hamas misinformation.
