This week, the U.S. and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an alternative aid distributor, announced its permanent closure. Though the GHF claims it successfully delivered millions of meals and demonstrated a “better way” to get aid to Gazans, its short history was plagued by controversy.
Palestinians and aid workers frequently reported that reaching GHF sites was incredibly dangerous. People risked their lives navigating areas secured by Israeli troops, often facing gunfire. Eyewitnesses and videos suggest hundreds were killed trying to access food. The GHF’s operations were also notably secretive, with unknown funding and armed contractors reportedly using live ammunition and stun grenades at distribution points. The UN, which Israel accused of aid diversion (a claim the UN denied), had opposed the GHF, fearing it would give Israel excessive control and potentially displace civilians. The GHF’s work will now transition to a U.S.-led coordination center.
Meanwhile, tensions are high within Israel’s leadership. Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly clashed with military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over the ongoing investigation into the devastating October 7th attacks. Katz wants a new review of the military’s failures and aims to freeze new army appointments. Zamir, however, called Katz’s move “puzzling” and detrimental to the military, advocating for an “external, objective, and independent commission” to thoroughly investigate the events that killed around 1,200 people and ignited the current war. This conflict has tragically resulted in over 69,700 Palestinian lives lost, with women and children making up the majority, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
