American military veterans volunteering with the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) say they are encountering threats from Hamas operatives and other armed actors while distributing food and supplies to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
GHF, which began operations in May 2025, says it has delivered more than 160 million meals to Palestinians since launching more than a year and a half after the outbreak of the war. Volunteers including Jason Murray, Scott Weimer and Brandon Zielinski told Fox News Digital that the organization faces persistent security challenges and coordinates with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to keep distribution sites secure and to allow civilians in need to access aid.
"From a security standpoint, our goal is to provide aid in a safe and secure manner," Murray said. "Hamas does operate in this area. Again, we know that. We have been told through various means that, ‘Hey, Hamas was here today.'" The veterans said they and local staff take the threat seriously and work with Israeli briefings and security protocols to reduce risk.
Volunteers said the environment at secure distribution sites (SDS) has changed over time as threats have emerged. Zielinski described encountering weapons and explosive devices in and around distribution areas: "We've had pistols seen before, there's been AKs seen before. There's grenades that went off." He said teams log suspicious activity and individuals, then pass that information to intelligence officials to help identify and detain bad actors.
Weimer said the GHF teams see armed groups "in the background" while focusing on getting food to those who need it. He and other volunteers credited security teams for maintaining calm in chaotic crowds, and described drawing on military experience to organize operations and work through language and coordination challenges with local partners and the IDF.
GHF is described by its volunteers as a U.S.-backed humanitarian operation that has faced both terror threats and international scrutiny. The group has sought to innovate distribution methods, including launching a reservation system designed to manage deliveries and reduce crowding at distribution sites. Organizers say the system is intended to get food directly to families while limiting opportunities for armed interference.
Volunteers said they typically receive IDF briefings on the security situation covering roughly the 48 hours before a shift. Those briefings inform where SDS sites are established and how teams should approach distribution. Security contractors are commonly deployed to guard sites and to assist in screening for weapons and suspicious behavior, according to the veterans.
"The amount of people that are seeking food and seeking aid can be overwhelming at times," Weimer said. "I have never once seen any of us overreact to what would be, I think, to anybody, a very scary situation." He urged the public to research conditions on the ground, saying media depictions that portray volunteers as anything other than humanitarian workers were inaccurate.
GHF volunteers described desperation among Palestinians lining up for aid. Several recounted encounters with local intermediaries and criminal elements who seek to exploit the scarcity of food. Volunteers said they and local staff have been targeted by operatives and gang members who attempted to disrupt distributions or gain control of supplies.
"We've kind of built a plane in flight… not even knowing where we were going to land," Murray said, describing the rapid scaling of GHF operations and the improvisation required to deliver aid in an active war zone. He and his fellow volunteers said their prior military training — including joint and bilateral exercises that required working across language barriers — has proven useful in liaising with the IDF and local partners.
GHF has continued to call on the international community to join its efforts to deliver food to civilians, even as it faces criticism from some quarters about its operations and security arrangements. Volunteers said their teams are motivated by the humanitarian imperative and by the visible impact of their work.
The Gaza war, which began more than a year and a half before GHF began operations, has produced widespread displacement and food insecurity across the territory. Humanitarian agencies and governments have repeatedly warned that access constraints, active hostilities and the presence of armed groups complicate delivery of assistance to civilians.
Aid organizations operating in Gaza have increasingly sought technological and logistical innovations to manage distributions, reduce crowding and ensure aid reaches intended beneficiaries. GHF's reservation system is part of that broader trend, according to the veterans and organizers, who say operational adjustments are designed to improve safety for both recipients and aid workers.
The veterans described the work as difficult and sometimes dangerous but said it was necessary. "Everybody wants to help, and everybody sees the reward for doing so… We all just enjoy doing it," Zielinski said. He added that the teams strive to protect local staff, who face the greatest risks while distributing aid in their communities.
GHF's claims about meal deliveries and its operational practices have drawn attention from governments, media outlets and humanitarian actors monitoring the Gaza crisis. The organization and its volunteers assert that their coordination with Israeli forces and internal security measures aim to reduce interference by armed groups while expanding food access for civilians.
As humanitarian needs persist in Gaza, GHF and other aid groups confront the challenge of sustaining operations amid security threats, logistical hurdles and international scrutiny. Volunteers said they would continue to adapt procedures, report suspicious activity to authorities and press for broader support to meet urgent needs on the ground.