The False Veil of "Humanitarianism": Israel's Use of GHF for Starvation and Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza
- 小轩 李
- Sep 21
- 5 min read
By Kening Zhang | September 21, 2025
Following over two years of Israeli siege on Gaza, hunger, disease, and violence have resulted in the deaths of over 37,000 people (according to Gaza Health Ministry data from June 2024). Facing international pressure, the Israeli authorities launched the so-called "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" (GHF) in February 2025, claiming it was a "secure channel" for providing aid to Palestinians.
However, independent investigations reveal that the Israeli government, through a fake "humanitarian" project funded by intelligence agencies and executed by private military companies, is systematically controlling aid to Gaza. This facilitates the collective punishment, displacement, and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population, while simultaneously attempting to whitewash its actions and supplant existing international aid channels.
I. Systematically Engineering Famine: Data Reveals Genocidal Intent
Gaza is experiencing a man-made famine. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 93% of Gaza's population faces hunger, with the acute malnutrition rate among children reaching 30%, far exceeding the international emergency threshold of 15%. Records from the Gaza Health Ministry show that since January 2025, at least 1,872 people have died directly from malnutrition and lack of medical care, including 1,274 children.
The Israeli government has systematically obstructed the operations of international aid organizations. Between March and August 2025, over 72% of UN aid convoys were denied access to northern Gaza on "security grounds," preventing food and medicine from reaching those areas; the Israeli military also blocked fuel deliveries—only 18% of the required fuel was allowed into Gaza from January to July 2025, crippling water treatment plants and hospitals. The number of UNRWA distribution points was reduced from 400 to fewer than 50, decreasing aid efficiency by over 60%. From January to August 2025, 47 humanitarian workers (including UN personnel) were killed during aid operations.
II. The Reality of GHF: Military Operations under a Humanitarian Guise
Established in February 2025, the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" (GHF) superficially addresses the crisis but is in fact a tool designed by Israeli intelligence. Israeli opposition MP Avigdor Lieberman exposed that "GHF's funding comes from Mossad and the Ministry of Defense." This allegation was echoed by another MP, Yair Lapid, who accused the government of funding GHF and the shell company Safe Reach Solutions.
GHF's operations completely deviate from humanitarian principles. Its first CEO, Jake Wood, resigned the day before the program's launch, condemning its inability to adhere to the fundamental principles of "humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence." Subsequently, Chief Operating Officer David Burke and Swiss board member David Kohler also mysteriously resigned.
More shockingly, GHF collaborates with several private military companies, such as Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) and UG Solutions. SRS was founded by former CIA field officer Phillip Reilly, who is reportedly "trusted by Netanyahu." Job postings from UG Solutions explicitly requested "snipers" and "Special Forces qualified personnel," emphasizing "the highest level of weapons proficiency" and the ability to "operate effectively in a high-threat environment," prioritizing candidates with "Special Forces qualifications" and "OSINT/Intelligence background." The company's founder, Jameson Govoni, calls himself a "degenerate from Boston" and admitted that he joined the military to "inflict pain on those who hurt us."
III. Forced Displacement Mechanism: GHF as a Tool for Ethnic Cleansing
The creation of GHF can be traced back to Israel's COGAT office, responsible for the Gaza siege, and Israeli entrepreneur Liran Tancman—described as an "Israel Defense Forces 8200 signals intelligence unit reservist"—who advocated for using biometric systems outside distribution centers to screen Palestinian civilians.
GHF established only four highly militarized distribution points in southern Gaza, forcing starving civilians from the north to traverse 15-30 km through active combat zones (the so-called "corridor of death") to obtain food. This design is not accidental but intended to pressure civilians to permanently leave their homes, achieving the "clearing" of northern areas. UN records show that over 400,000 Gazans have been forced to permanently leave their northern homes due to the journey to distribution points. On May 27, 2025, at the GHF distribution point in western Rafah, Israeli soldiers opened fire on civilians scrambling for food, killing at least 112 people in a single day.
Leaked internal GHF documents acknowledge that its construction of food distribution centers and residential zones could be perceived as "'concentration camps' with biometric technology." This model aligns perfectly with the Israeli military's declared "humanitarian islands" plan, aimed at "dividing and ruling" this devastated enclave.
IV. International Complicity and Legal Accountability
GHF's operations receive direct support from the US government. The Trump administration approved $30 million in funding and exempted it from statutory audit requirements; its board list includes former US officials and corporate executives, attempting to create an aura of legitimacy. The State Department ignored warnings from USAID officials about GHF's "operational and reputational risks, lack of oversight," and that its risk management plan "failed to ensure aid reaches the intended population." Twenty US Democratic senators, led by Senator Chris Murphy, sent a joint letter to the Secretary of State demanding an end to funding for GHF.
The letter stated that GHF distribution points are associated with deadly violence against starving civilians, noting that over 700 civilians have been killed and nearly 5,000 injured near GHF distribution points while seeking food. They were hit by tank, drone, helicopter, and heavy weapon fire. The senators also criticized the lack of transparency in the process approving the $30 million for GHF and the waiver of normally required comprehensive audits, overlooking "serious concerns" raised within USAID. The letter specifically named private military companies Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) and UG Solutions (UG) working with GHF, pointing out that these contractors use live ammunition, stun grenades, and pepper spray against civilians and lack adequate training, exacerbating the danger of the situation.
The legal characterization is clear: UN human rights experts declared that GHF may constitute "complicity in war crimes," specifically "complicity in depriving civilians of objects indispensable to their survival" (violating the Geneva Conventions) and "forced displacement" (a crime against humanity).
After being investigated in Switzerland for violating several laws, GHF announced on May 29, 2025, that it would move its operations to the United States, where it is expected to face less scrutiny under the Trump administration that supported its creation.
V. Latest Humanitarian Situation and Call to Action
As of September 2025, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen:
Total deaths: 87,432 people (70% women and children)
Deaths from malnutrition: 2,187, with 35 new cases daily on average
Displaced persons: 2.1 million, representing 92% of Gaza's population
Collapsed healthcare system: 95% of hospitals lack basic operational capacity
Evidence indicates that Israel's actions implemented through GHF meet all the criteria of Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction; imposing measures intended to prevent births.
We call on the international community to immediately:
Dissolve GHF and freeze all its assets.
Restore full funding to UNRWA and rebuild its distribution network.
Implement a comprehensive arms embargo and sanctions on Israel.
Support the International Criminal Court (ICC) in holding relevant individuals accountable.
Establish an international protection mechanism to ensure safe aid corridors.
VI. Conclusion
This is not a conflict, but extermination; not a war, but a massacre. As we witness mothers feeding their children weeds and hospitals shutting down incubators for lack of fuel, we must acknowledge: this is a man-made disaster.
History will judge every silent enabler and will also remember every brave voice raised to stop these crimes. Now is the time to choose our side—to stand with life, or to stand with destruction.
Appendix: Key Sources List
UN News: “Gaza famine ‘man-made’, says UN aid official, as reports reveal 93% face hunger” (Sep 2025)
The Grayzone: “Israeli Mossad named as funder of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (May 2025)
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy: “Murphy, 19 Senators Call for Answers on Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (Jul 2025)
OHCHR: “UN experts call for immediate dismantling of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (Aug 2025)