State Department: Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has delivered roughly 462,000 meals amid disputes over neutrality

State Department spokesperson Tammy said at a press briefing today that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has begun distributing life‑saving aid in Gaza, delivering roughly 8,000 food boxes — which she said feed about 5.5 people for three and a half days, totaling approximately 462,000 meals. "The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation under the humanitarian principles of independence and impartiality has commenced providing life saving aid to the people of Gaza," Tammy said.

The announcement came amid sharp dispute over the foundation’s independence and the geographic concentration of deliveries. Reporter Andrea recounted public reporting and remarks by Cindy McCain, saying McCain told CBS that the World Food Programme was still delivering food and that the new foundation was viewed by some as not fully independent. Andrea said critics have accused the foundation of concentrating distribution points in the south to encourage movement of civilians southward.

Tammy declined to speak for the foundation and declined to confirm or adjudicate media accounts about specific incidents, noting only that "the real story here is that the aid is moving through." When asked whether people who travel north to collect food will be allowed to return, Tammy said the State Department is not running the effort and advised reporters to contact the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for details about distribution plans and return permissions. She also recommended the foundation’s publicly posted contact information.

Reporters raised concerns that the deliveries were being operated in coordination with Israeli forces and secured by perimeter forces, which critics say could make recipients targets; one reporter said U.N. experts and NGOs described the deliveries as "militarized." Tammy repeated that she did not speak for the foundation but emphasized the numbers of meals delivered and said the administration welcomes efforts that put food into people’s hands.

This was a discussion by the State Department spokesperson and reporters; there was no Departmental announcement of a change in U.S. policy or a formal U.S. operational role in distributions. Tammy repeatedly directed operational questions about distribution points, expansion plans and whether recipients could return north to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation itself rather than to the State Department.

Looking ahead, Tammy said the effort "clearly needs to expand" and suggested any reporter or organization with operational capacity should contact the foundation to coordinate. The State Department did not provide a timetable for expansion or independent verification of distribution methods.