A charity organization providing aid to residents in the Gaza Strip amid the war between Israel and Hamas has appointed a United States-based Evangelical leader and well-known religious freedom advocate as its new leader.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced in a statement Tuesday that it appointed the Rev. Johnnie Moore as its executive chairman. Moore, who serves as president of the public relations firm JDA Worldwide and the Congress of Christian Leaders, has previously served on the bipartisan U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom as an appointee of President Donald Trump. As a pro-Israel advocate, Moore has also been critical of Hamas over the years.
As a nonprofit, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation “partners with local communities and international stakeholders to meet urgent needs and restore dignity to everyday life” and is “dedicated to delivering secure, large-scale humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilian population.”
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“Since launching operations on 26 May 2025, GHF has delivered more than 7 million meals through its secure distribution system without incident,” the charity reports.
In a statement, Moore said that GHF is “demonstrating that it is possible to move vast quantities of food to people who need it most — safely, efficiently, and effectively.”
“I am honored to bring my experience to bear to help scale this vital mission and ensure the humanitarian aid community and the broader international community understand what’s taking place on the ground,” Moore said as he reflected on his new role.
Moore stressed that “serving the people of Gaza with dignity and compassion must be the top priority.”
“We welcome others to join us and urge extreme caution against sharing unverified information from sources that have repeatedly issued demonstrably false reports,” he said. “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.”
John Acree, the acting executive director of GHF, praised Moore’s “proven record of principled leadership and hands-on humanitarian work that will strengthen GHF as we continue to expand our life-saving operations.” He believes Moore’s appointment is evidence of “GHF’s determination to pair operational excellence with experienced, service-oriented leadership.”
“Our commitment to safely delivering food to a large, hungry population is unwavering, and his insight will be invaluable as we build on our early success,” Acree predicted.
Moore’s appointment comes more than 18 months after the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in southern Israel perpetrated by the terrorist organization Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Around 1,200 people died in the attack, and more than 240 were taken hostage. In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza with the stated goal of eradicating Hamas and securing the release of hostages.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims that more than 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began. However, those figures don’t differentiate between combatants and civilians. The validity of those figures has also been called into question.
Previous attempts to bring aid into Gaza have resulted in allegations that Hamas militants have stolen aid designated for civilians and sold it on the black market. In May, Trump accused Hamas of “making it impossible” to get aid into Gaza because militants are “taking everything that’s brought in.”
“But we’re going to help the people of Gaza because they’re being treated very badly by Hamas,” he said while talking with the media at the White House.
After a weekslong Israeli military blockade of aid into Gaza, GHF announced last Monday that it began delivering aid supplies to distribution hubs in Gaza. Israel has backed the idea of allowing GHF to oversee the distribution of aid directly to Gaza residents as a way to minimize the risk of Hamas stealing the aid.
The operations began one day after GHF’s founding CEO, Jake Wood, resigned and criticized the Israeli-led distribution plan. Wood believes the charity won’t be able to operate in accordance with “humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon,” reports All Israel News.
A memo outlining the GHF’s purpose and mission states that “[t]raditional humanitarian channels have collapsed under the weight of ongoing combat operations, systemic aid diversion, and restricted access.”
“As a result, much of aid fails to reach the people it is intended to help, fueling despair and instability,” the memo added. GHF maintains that the instability in Gaza has left “millions of civilians without reliable access to food, water, and other necessary supplies.”
The charity’s business model involves the establishment of four secure distribution sites, each designed to serve 300,000 people by providing them with food, water, and hygiene kits on a consistent basis. As stated in the memo, the charity works to ensure that “pre-packaged rations, hygiene kits, and medical supplies move through tightly controlled corridors, monitored in real time to prevent diversion.”
The GHF intends to partner with non-governmental organizations, such as the United Nations and civil society organizations, to execute its mission.
Last week, GHF said in a statement that Palestinian groups that have agreed to work with the charity have received threats from Hamas.
“It is clear that Hamas is threatened by this new operating model, and will do everything in its power to see it fail,” GHF said.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
