Senate Democrats Push to Halt U.S. Funding for Deadly Gaza Aid Sites

Growing Concerns Over U.S. Funding for a Controversial Aid Group

More than 20 Democratic senators have raised serious concerns about the Trump administration’s financial support for the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organization that has drawn international criticism for its role in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. These lawmakers argue that GHF is not only failing to provide aid effectively but is also contributing to violence against civilians.

The call for action was led by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who, along with other Democratic senators, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday. The letter expressed “grave concerns” over the lack of transparency surrounding GHF’s funding and operations. It also highlighted numerous reports, videos, and testimonies documenting the chaos and violence at the group’s militarized aid sites.

“Blurring the lines between delivery of aid and security operations shatters well-established norms that have governed distribution of humanitarian aid since the ratification of the Geneva Convention in 1949,” the letter stated. It urged the administration to immediately cease all U.S. funding for GHF and instead resume support for existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms with enhanced oversight to ensure that aid reaches civilians in need.

A spokesperson for the State Department declined to comment on the letter, but the issue has sparked significant debate. Among the senators’ demands is for greater transparency regarding a $30 million pledge made by the State Department to GHF last month. This funding was provided under a “priority directive” that allows the Trump administration to exempt the group from an audit normally required for those receiving grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the first time.

The letter also echoed concerns raised by members of the international community about GHF’s operations. Reports indicate that Israeli soldiers and U.S. mercenaries have opened fire on crowds of starving Palestinians who have been traveling across Gaza in search of limited food supplies. Since May, these incidents have resulted in numerous deaths.

Van Hollen emphasized the severity of the situation, telling CBS’s “Face the Nation,” “American taxpayers should not be spending one penny to fund this private organization backed by mercenaries and by the IDF that has become a death trap.” He added that over a thousand people have died from being shot while trying to get food at just four sites.

Israel has further exacerbated the crisis by blocking almost all other aid from entering the territory, aiming to replace the United Nations’ long-standing aid distribution infrastructure with GHF. While Israeli and U.S. leaders have claimed that Hamas systematically steals aid, recent reports suggest otherwise. In a New York Times article published on Saturday, Israeli military officials conceded they have no evidence to support these claims.

Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar, who worked with GHF, described the organization's operations as “inexperienced, untrained, no idea of how to conduct operations of this magnitude.” He went on to say, “In my most frank assessment, I would say that they’re criminal.” Aguilar noted that he had never witnessed such a level of brutality and use of indiscriminate and unnecessary force against a civilian population—specifically, unarmed and starving individuals.

Under pressure, Israel announced it is permitting airdrops of aid and a “tactical pause” in three areas of Gaza to allow for increased humanitarian deliveries, including from the UN. While aid groups welcome the change, they stress that the only way to bring relief to the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza is for Israel to reopen humanitarian routes for the thousands of aid trucks waiting outside the territory.

Save the Children director Rachael Cummings told ABC’s “This Week,” “We welcome the humanitarian supplies entering Gaza of course – and we need to do that in a controlled manner. Airdrops are not in a controlled manner, and one airdrop is equal to around one truck.” She emphasized the need for humanitarian supplies to be brought in over land through recognized routes, enabling the UN system to manage distributions effectively.