GAZA CITY — A growing controversy has emerged around the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-backed initiative distributing aid in the besieged Gaza Strip, after multiple reports surfaced alleging that expired food supplies have been handed out to starving civilians.
According to several eyewitness accounts, aid packages distributed under the GHF banner contained food with altered or scratched-off expiration dates, raising serious concerns about health safety and oversight. One Gazan resident who consumed the expired items reported falling severely ill shortly afterward. “The food was the only option left,” he said. “But it made me sick. The expiry labels had been tampered with.”
The GHF was established as a parallel aid mechanism intended to bypass traditional United Nations agencies, delivering relief directly to Gaza through U.S. and Israeli coordination. However, the initiative has faced repeated criticism from human rights groups, who argue that the foundation lacks transparency, neutral oversight, and safety protocols.
These concerns are compounded by the extreme conditions in Gaza, where more than 2 million people face famine, and aid lines are often targeted or severely restricted. For many Gazans, the aid distributed through GHF is the only source of food available, leaving them with no choice but to consume what is provided, regardless of quality.
The allegations come amid rising casualties at GHF distribution points. In recent weeks, over 600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,200 injured near these centers, often in incidents involving Israeli live fire, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. Humanitarian observers have warned that the combination of unsafe aid and militarized distribution points is creating deadly conditions.
International health and relief experts are now calling for an independent investigation into the handling and contents of aid provided through GHF. “In a context as fragile as Gaza, the distribution of expired or unsafe food is not only unethical, it is potentially life-threatening,” one UN-affiliated humanitarian advisor stated.
The situation reflects deeper structural concerns about how humanitarian relief is being politicized and weaponized. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens under siege, restricted access, and military aggression, the people most in need now face an additional threat, the very aid meant to help them.
