A US charity has accused the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the controversial Israeli-backed group that began distributing food in Gaza this week, of sending out photographs of deliveries containing its logo without permission.
Images distributed by GHF this week showed shipments bearing a label from Rahma Worldwide, which is based in Michigan, as part of its first distribution of food to sites inside Gaza. The rollout was marred by scenes of chaos on Tuesday after crowds overran one distribution centre managed by GHF and Israeli forces said they had fired “warning shots”. Gaza health officials said at least one civilian had been killed and 48 injured in the incident.
The aid bearing the Rahma logo, which was prominently displayed in a press packet distributed by GHF, suggested to some media outlets that the groups were official partners. That would be an important endorsement as questions have grown over GHF’s funding and lack of partners or experience in distributing aid.
Israeli jets continued to pound areas of Gaza on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, including 23 in a strike on the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical workers said.
Israeli media reported that the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had told the families of hostages held in the territory that he had accepted a new ceasefire proposal presented by Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. There were no further immediate details. Hamas said earlier that it had received the new proposal from mediators and was studying it.
Speculation around a possible ceasefire had been growing after Witkoff said the White House was preparing a draft document that could provide the basis for an agreement.
The UN and aid groups have pushed back against the new system led by GHF. They say Israel is trying to use food as a weapon and that a new system will not be effective.
In a statement, Rahma said it had previously “secured all necessary permits” for 4,000 food boxes to cross into Gaza but none had entered.
Israel has blocked the UN and other aid organisations from moving food into Gaza, where people are starving.
Unable to get the food in, Rahma had allowed the containers to be “taken custody” by GHF. Rahma added, however, that it had refused to allow its personnel to take part in the distribution because of GHF’s use of armed security contractors.
“We noticed images of our food boxes with logo being distributed without Rahma’s direct involvement,” the group said in a statement. “Rahma did not authorise such distribution, and none of our team was permitted to participate in this process.”
In a separate statement, Rahma’s executive director and founder said it had allowed GHF to transport the aid, which had been stuck at the border, due to the “severe need in Gaza” but had demanded a formal explanation for why that aid had been distributed under its name.
“We stipulated that the Rahma logo be removed from the aid parcels,” said Dr Shadi Omar Zaza, the head of Rahma. “To our surprise, the organisation’s logo was not removed, and the security company distributed these parcels bearing the Rahma Worldwide logo.”
Palestinians described more scenes of chaos on Thursday at a GHF hub as security contractors struggled to control the crowd. People scattered as gunfire rang out, although it was not clear who fired or if there were any casualties.
Zaza said GHF’s use of armed security contractors violated Rahma’s operational charter and humanitarian mandate. “We will not accept, and will not be part of, this aid distribution mechanism – because we do not allow armed actors, we do not allow any armed party to interfere in our relief work,” he said.
GHF has been approached for comment.
Agence France-Presse and Associate Press contributed to this report
