US Democratic senators demand halt to funding for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

A group of senior Democratic senators is pressing the Trump administration for transparency over the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a little-known aid initiative accused of working too closely with the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and contracting private security firms tied to intelligence operations.

In a letter obtained by The Guardian, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, and Peter Welch urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to 'Israel' Mike Huckabee, and budget chief Russell Vought to disclose details about GHF’s financing and oversight.

The senators sharply criticized the State Department, accusing it of an “inability to answer basic questions about GHF in a timely manner” and warning that its “overriding of internal protocol and staff warnings is particularly concerning given it is unlikely to be able to conduct basic oversight of the funds it provided to GHF.”

Calling for an immediate halt to US funding, the lawmakers wrote, “The state department should immediately cease funding GHF and transfer or restore funding to experienced aid organizations given the strong and growing evidence that GHF is failing to accomplish its humanitarian mission.”

The dispute comes amid alarming figures from the United Nations, which reported in August that nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the vicinity of GHF distribution points since the foundation began operating in May.

Read more: Only $3 million reached Gaza despite Trump’s $60 million claim: Sources

President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington sent USD 60 million in food aid to Gaza. Official records, however, show that the State Department has only publicly acknowledged a USD 30 million grant to GHF in June. The lack of disclosure, the senators argued, amounts to a violation of US law.

GHF has also been tied to a controversial development blueprint, dubbed the “Gaza Riviera,” which envisions luxury buildings, waterways, and green spaces on the coastal enclave. Critics argue the plan is little more than a cover for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

The 38-page document, reportedly prepared with input from consultants at Boston Consulting Group, two of whom were later fired, has not been adopted as formal US policy but reflects Trump’s repeated calls for a “takeover” of Gaza.

The senators raised particular alarm over GHF’s alleged cooperation with the 'Israeli' government and its hiring of contractors with backgrounds in military intelligence. “The provision of humanitarian aid to starving populations should not be a pretext for military intelligence operations,” they warned.

Their letter also requested the release of award documents, internal reviews, export licenses for security services, and other oversight material that should, by law, accompany GHF’s activities but has yet to be published.