White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the U.S.-backed organization tasked by President Donald Trump with delivering humanitarian aid to Gazans with a strategy intended to prevent Hamas from stealing it.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Leavitt touted the success of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which says it distributed approximately 17,820 boxes, totaling around 1,838,182 meals, to Gazans in the past three days.
“The aid was rolled out to Gaza for the first time in many months and meals and food was given to hungry people, thanks to President Trump,” Leavitt said. “The president is the reason that aid went into Gaza. He got the Israelis to support that plan.”
Strong defense from the White House of American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which has disrupted close to 2 million meals in 3 days.
"Food was given to hungry people thanks to President Trump." pic.twitter.com/1cdOIgX0Kl
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 29, 2025
Leavitt contrasted the GHF to former President Joe Biden’s attempt to build a floating pier in Gaza, which resulted in the death of one American service member and injuries to 62 more, damaging $31 million worth of military equipment in the process.
“It was the previous administration that tried to build this pier,” Leavitt said. “There been so much criticism…for this president having a humanitarian heart and giving people badly needed food and supplies.”
Leavitt added that the pier “did nothing for the people of Gaza.”
Biden announced his pier plan during his 2024 State of the Union Address, and pushed forward with the $230 million project, despite warnings against the plan from federal workers.
Biden’s plan fell short of its goal to sustain 1.5 million Gazans for several months, with less than a third of the aid being delivered during the 20 days it was in use. Much of the aid from the pier was reportedly stolen.
GHF has been tasked with implementing President Trump’s aid initiative, designed to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from seizing supplies — a problem that has persisted since the war began following the group’s October 7, 2023, massacre.
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In its three days of operation, the group has faced relentless attacks, including false accusations of it sharing AI-generated videos of Gazans cheering on American contractors.
A source close to GHF operations told The Daily Wire that the video disrupts the narrative that the American-backed aid can be popular.
EXCLUSIVE: Video of Gazans shouting “Thank you, America!” at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution center today.
My source tells me some Gazans said this was the first time they’ve received humanitarian aid without having to pay for it. pic.twitter.com/ZiystBCxpC
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 27, 2025
“Some people can’t accept that a new model is working — that in the middle of war, Gazans are showing up, getting fed, and walking away with dignity,” the source said. “They’d rather believe it’s fake than rethink what effective humanitarian aid looks like.”
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GHF has also faced attacks for the security contractors helping with the aid, American military veterans affiliated with Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions. Both companies helped Egyptians with supervising the checking of vehicles passing through southern to northern Gaza in January when the ceasefire went into effect, The Jerusalem Post reported.
GHF is operating as an apolitical group in Gaza and working with the Israel Defense Forces for security and logistical purposes.
“GHF is in communication with Israeli officials solely for the purposes of deconfliction and to ensure aid can be delivered safely,” according to a GHF statement. “IDF will not have a presence within the immediate vicinity of the distribution sites.”
GHF plans to continue scaling up its operations, including opening a new site in northern Gaza and is also developing a “last-mile” delivery plan to reach civilians unable to access the secure aid centers. The group hopes to collaborate with traditional aid organizations, including United Nations-affiliated groups, by offering its delivery infrastructure to help ensure aid is distributed safely and protected from misuse or theft.
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