Ambassador Huckabee says US will 'scale up' GHF aid sites in Gaza, start 24-hour distribution

The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) will expand its operations from the 4 distribution sites it currently operates to 16 sites, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Wednesday.

“The immediate plan is to scale up the number of sites up to 16, and begin to operate them as much as 24 hours a day, to get more food to more people more efficiently,” Ambassador Huckabee said during an appearance on Fox News. 

Huckabee’s comments came as he was asked about a recent Axios report stating that the U.S. planned to take over the distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip. 

“Well, I think the president of the United States always has a very important role in something like this if he chooses to do it,” Huckabee stated.  

Huckabee reaffirmed that U.S. President Trump is adamant about getting more aid into Gaza, but wants to avoid any Hamas seizure of the aid. 

“The president has been telling us he wants foods into the hands of hungry people but he wants it in a way that it doesn’t get into the hands of Hamas,” Huckabee said. “That’s exactly what we did when we stood up GHF.” 

The ambassador called the GHF “an American-based operation,” noting that “it has the support and cooperation of the IDF, but it's not under their control.” 

Huckabee, who visited the Gaza Strip and toured a GHF distribution site with special envoy Steve Witkoff last week, called the GHF a success, saying, “the result has been pretty phenomenal, over 106 million meals served at four feeding sites.” 

Huckabee noted that the success of the U.S.-backed aid group is also demonstrated in that aid is “not going into the hands of looters and thieves. It's going into the hands of the people who actually have come because they really do need food.” 

“That’s what the president wants,” Huckabee reiterated. 

The GHF has come under repeated criticism by the United Nations and several other NGOs involved in aid distribution in Gaza, who have accused the U.S.-backed foundation of endangering the lives of Palestinians. The UN has cited the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which claims that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by IDF soldiers near the aid sites. 

Neither the UN nor the GHF has provided any evidence of the claims, except quotes from hospital officials. GHF chief Rev. Johnnie Moore has repeatedly denounced the claims as fake. 

Despite the IDF releasing several videos recently, and throughout the war, demonstrating armed militants, apparently from terror organizations, confiscating the humanitarian aid convoys entering through the UN mechanism, the UN continues to deny that Hamas is taking the aid. 

Hamas terrorists filmed how they seize control of humanitarian aid trucks.

Hamas steals aid from the people in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/fuImv3eiws

— Avital Leibovich (@AvitalLeibovich) August 5, 2025

In a report published earlier this week, Axios said that President Trump plans to have the U.S. “take over” management of the humanitarian aid situation in Gaza. Axios cited an unnamed U.S. official who claimed that Trump is “not thrilled” about the U.S. taking over the aid situation, but said, “There doesn't seem to be another way.” 

“The starvation problem in Gaza is getting worse. Donald Trump does not like that. He does not want babies to starve. He wants mothers to be able to nurse their children. He's becoming fixated on that,” Axios quoted the official as saying. 

It quoted another anonymous U.S. official as saying that Trump does not want the U.S. to be the only country paying for aid to Gaza. 

“The president doesn't want to see the U.S. being the only country throwing money at this problem. It's a global problem. And he's been tasking Witkoff and others to make sure everyone is stepping up, our European friends and our Arab friends," the official reportedly said. 

According to Axios, Israeli officials are on board with the plan, as it would take some of the burden off the IDF. 

It is not clear how the U.S. assuming responsibility of the humanitarian aid situation will play out with regards to the expected Israeli plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, which will be voted on by the security cabinet later today.

However, the U.S. could set up similar aid distribution sites in the northern Gaza Strip, which the IDF mostly controls, after it turns its focus to the capture of Gaza City. 

President Trump recently said that the decision to occupy Gaza is “up to Israel,” and refused to offer a public opinion on the issue.