Gaza Humanitarian Foundation 'here to stay', its chairman says

GHF leader Johnnie Moore speaks to The National about controversial group's work

The head of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has defended his organisation from fierce criticism of its food delivery system and said its mission would continue even after Hamas and Israel eventually reach a ceasefire deal.

The US-backed GHF began giving out meals in May after Israel had prevented all aid, food and water from entering the Gaza Strip for nearly three months, leading to severe food shortages and famine warnings for the Palestinian territory's 2.3 million residents.

But scenes of chaos immediately unfolded at or near GHF distribution sites. More than 500 people have been killed while waiting to receive rations, the UN Human Rights Office said last week.

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The GHF has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points, and foundation chairman Johnnie Moore denied claims that contractors had hurt Palestinians.

“Any reports of GHF personnel harming anyone are false, 100 per cent false," he said in an interview with The National. "We haven't had a single violent incident within the GHF distribution sites, or in immediate proximity to the sites, except for one, and that is when Hamas threw two grenades at our American workers.

“We go to extraordinary means to make sure that our mission is to help people live … it's just like these lies that we're harming people … it's a lie.”

Hamas and Israel are close to agreeing on a ceasefire, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, perhaps by the end of this week. One remaining sticking point is how aid will be distributed. Mr Moore said the GHF would continue its operations after the ceasefire comes into effect.

“We believe GHF is here to stay,” he said. “We just need to get as much food as possible, as quickly as possible, into the Gaza Strip, and we want to get as close to the people as we possibly can … hopefully we get a ceasefire, and we have a plan to do more.”

Palestinians are held behind gates before entering a food distribution site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in May. AP

He said there were “plenty” of verified incidents where Hamas members threatened or harmed people so it would be blamed on the GHF.

Last week, AP quoted two American contractors alarmed by what they described as reckless and dangerous conduct by their colleagues. One contractor recalled seeing bullets fired indiscriminately, into the air, into the ground, and at times in the direction of Palestinians.

The US State Department, which is providing $30 million in direct funding to the GHF, says the foundation's efforts are vital to ensuring food gets into Gaza without being looted by Hamas.

Mr Moore said the GHF has delivered more than 70 million meals to about one million people in Gaza. He acknowledged concerns about those yet to receive assistance.

“We’re very concerned about them. Every single day, we are pushing to try to get closer to them,” he said.

Mr Moore said the foundation had anticipated having more distribution sites running by now but had been hampered by resistance from the UN.

We “didn't expect the boycott of the United Nations", he said.

The UN has declined to take part in the GHF's operations, accusing the group of militarising aid delivery and putting Palestinians at dire risk.

“Some people are getting food, people are also getting killed trying to get that food. That’s not a way we would run our humanitarian operation,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

“We will not work with people who do not meet those standards. Right now, if the GHF or any other group wants to work in a way that meets those standards, we will co-operate with any of them fully.”

Mr Moore defended the GHF’s approach, saying the group uses “incredibly experienced American veterans who are retired, who at this phase of their life just want to feed people".

He added that the UN has “for a long time been OK with their preferred partners using guns in order to get a majority of the aid to people". He said that the main difference is who provides the security, not the principle of armed protection.

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  Displaced Gazans wait for aid as armed Palestinian groups claiming to be preventing theft gather around a UN vehicle accompanying aid lorries at the Israeli-controlled Zikim crossing west of Beit Lahia on Wednesday. Smoke from Israeli strikes rises in the background. AFP

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  The armed men guard aid lorries at the crossing. AFP

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  The armed groups sit on top of aid lorries. EPA

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  A UN vehicle accompanying the lorries. AFP

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  People carrying aid parcels the Israeli-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on the Salah Al Din road near the Nusseirat refugee camp on Wednesday. AFP

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  Palestinians gather at the GHF aid distribution point. AFP

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  Thousands of Palestinians queued at the GHF location on Wednesday. AFP

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  The supply of aid into Gaza has been acutely limited due to an Israeli blockade. AFP

The GHF co-ordinates closely with the Israeli military. While it has acknowledged reports of violence, it says these occurred outside its areas of operations.

Global outrage has mounted over the deaths of Palestinians forced to make long and perilous journeys to reach any of the four GHF aid sites, which are inside Israeli-controlled military zones. The UN and other aid groups have called the GHF’s operations a “death trap.”

Mr Moore said the plan was never to replace the international community, rather to work with aid groups to help them get aid in securely.

Unfortunately, he said, like everything in the Israeli-Palestinian discussion, “this became politicised immediately”.

Humanitarian organisations have criticised the foundation’s aid distribution work for lacking independence from Israel, noting that Israeli soldiers stationed near the sites have repeatedly fired at Palestinians.

Asked why international media organisations were not allowed in to monitor and verify conditions, Mr Moore said it had always been the plan to let embedded observers see their operations in Gaza.

“The challenge with that at this phase of our operation in the Gaza Strip is that we are very, very lean,” adding it would require “the diversion of significant resources”.

Palestinians rush to collect aid from the US-backed GHF, in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip, on May 29. Reuters