Gaza Humanitarian Foundation appoints US evangelical leader who denied mass killings as chief
The controversial US-backed initiative to distribute aid in Gaza, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has named an evangelical leader and former adviser to US President Donald Trump as its new chief.
Johnnie Moore, a former member of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, who has dismissed reports of mass killings at the GHF aid sites as “fictional massacres”, was appointed after the initiative’s former head, Jake Wood, resigned.
The appointment comes as major partners abandon the project amidst the mass killings of Palestinians seeking aid.
Wood cited concerns over the GHF’s ability to adhere to the “humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence”.
The GHF’s first week of operations descended into chaos, with over 75 Palestinian aid seekers killed by Israeli forces at its distribution points in less than six days.
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Such deaths have caused outrage amongst established aid groups and international bodies.
The UN has called for an investigation into the deaths and for the “perpetrators to be held accountable”.
On Wednesday, the aid group announced it was suspending its operations for a full day in order to make “organization and efficiency improvements,” with the Israeli military declaring access roads to distribution sites “combat zones”.
Moore has emerged as a vocal advocate for the scandal-plagued initiative, claiming that reports of the killings were “lies…spread by terrorists,” contradicting eyewitness accounts, footage, and reports by hospital directors and medical staff.
He has promoted the group in multiple posts on social media, applauding the GHF’s unsubstantiated claims that it has distributed “nearly 5 million meals” in its first week in Gaza.
“GHF believes that serving the people of Gaza with dignity and compassion must be the top priority,” Moore said in a statement.
“We welcome others to join us and urge extreme caution against sharing unverified information from sources that have repeatedly issued demonstrably false reports.
“False reporting of violence at our sites has a chilling effect on the local population and we can think of no greater disservice to a community in dire need.”
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