US-backed Gaza aid group names right-wing Christian leader as new head
WASHINGTON: The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed aid group, on Tuesday named an evangelical Christian leader as its new chairman, after rescuers said Israel's military killed 27 people near a GHF distribution center in the territory.
The appointment of Reverend Johnnie Moore 'underscores GHF's determination to pair operational excellence with experienced, service-oriented leadership,' the group's acting executive director John Acree said in a statement.
'His insight will be invaluable as we build on our early success.'
GHF's first month of operations, in which it began distributing food to starving Gazans through several hubs in the Palestinian territory, has been marred by criticism.
The foundation uses contracted US security, and Israel has worked with it to implement a new aid distribution mechanism in Gaza.
But the Israeli military faces allegations of shooting into crowds of civilians rushing to pick up aid packages near GHF sites, and the United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
On Tuesday a leading US management consulting firm that helped create the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it has terminated its contract with the organization and placed the partner leading the project on leave.
Boston Consulting Group helped establish the GHF in October 2024, one year after an unprecedented Hamas invasion of Israel triggered the ongoing Gaza war.
'Unapproved follow-on work relating to Gaza lacked buy-in from multilateral stakeholders and was stopped on May 30. BCG has not and will not be paid for any of this work,' the group said in a statement.
BCG said a formal review of the work has begun, and 'the partner who led this work has been placed on administrative leave.'
The GHF did not mention BCG or its contract termination.
It did say however that it 'has delivered more than 7 million meals through its secure distribution system without incident.'
Emergency responders said Israel's military killed at least 27 people near a GHF center in Gaza on Tuesday, leading the UN human rights chief to condemn such attacks on civilians as 'a war crime' following a similar shooting in the same area Sunday.
Moore has had a confrontational approach to the United Nations.
After UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed revulsion at 'reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza' on Sunday, Moore responded angrily.
'Mr Secretary General, it was a lie,' the reverend posted to Guterres on X, 'spread by terrorists & you're still spreading it. Correct this.'
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