GENEVA, August 6, 2025 — A large group of independent UN-appointed experts has urged the immediate dismantling of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a privately run aid group backed by Israel and the United States. According to the experts, the organization is being used to advance hidden military and political objectives under the cover of humanitarian assistance — a violation of international law.
The GHF began operations in May 2025, shortly after Israel eased its aid blockade on Gaza. The foundation claimed to focus on distributing food and essential supplies to Palestinians facing severe shortages. However, the UN experts allege that the aid program has become a tool for intelligence gathering and geopolitical interference, rather than genuine relief.
“Labeling this operation as ‘humanitarian’ is deceptive and dangerous,” the experts stated, arguing that the GHF is contributing to Israel’s strategy of masking military agendas behind relief efforts. “This undermines the very purpose and integrity of humanitarian work.”
The group — which includes Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, along with 18 other special rapporteurs and additional UN experts — issued a joint statement emphasizing that the GHF is not an impartial aid group, but rather entangled with Israeli intelligence, U.S. defense contractors, and non-transparent organizations.
The warning follows a July 22 report from the UN Human Rights Office, which revealed that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access aid since the GHF began operations — with nearly 75% of those deaths occurring near GHF distribution points.
The experts warned that if organizations like GHF are allowed to operate unchecked, humanitarian aid itself risks becoming a casualty of hybrid warfare. They called for the GHF to be dismantled, for its leadership to face accountability, and for recognized humanitarian actors — especially the UN and civil society organizations — to be restored to leadership roles in delivering aid to Gaza.
While UN special rapporteurs do not speak officially for the United Nations, their findings carry considerable weight, especially when supported by such a large and diverse group of independent experts.
