Samaritan’s Purse to Play a Larger Role in Gaza Aid Distribution

(RNS) — The Rev. Franklin Graham confirmed Saturday (Oct. 25) that Samaritan’s Purse, the international humanitarian relief organization he heads, is ramping up its role in delivering aid to Gaza as the embattled Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is being shut down.

“I don’t have all the specifics, because these details about the plan are still being developed,” Graham told RNS in a phone interview from Greensboro, North Carolina, where the organization’s new Boeing 767 took off for Israel loaded with humanitarian supplies.

But Graham, whose organization worked with the GHF earlier this year, said he understood that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was being phased out.

“It’s being folded,” said Graham, a longtime supporter of President Trump who has served as one of his evangelical advisers. “They operate with government funding, and I think their government funding has run out. It’s not going to be carried forward.”

The GHF, created by Israel and the U.S. to deliver aid in the ravaged Gaza Strip, had come under heavy criticism for its militarized distribution sites, where more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces as they approached the sites. Reuters recently reported that many European nations were opposed to GHF having any future role in Gaza.

GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay responded in an email that “GHF was asked to pause operations during the hostage release phase which is still ongoing.” The outfit, which began delivering aid to Gaza in March, ceased operations since the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was signed nearly two weeks ago.

While acknowledging the GHF was being paused, Fay did not say the GHF is shuttering.

“While the situation remains fluid on the ground, GHF has been instructed to remain ready to re-engage and specifically not to take any actions that would preclude us from resuming operations immediately,” Fay said.

Johnnie Moore, the evangelical PR guru who has served as GHF chairman, recently stepped down.

The fragile ceasefire deal, brokered by the U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators, has been strained by violent flare-ups and tensions over the exchange of deceased Israeli captives. All the living captives have been returned to Israel, and Israel has released some 2,000 imprisoned Palestinians.