A group of 21 Democratic senators led by Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen is urging the Trump administration to immediately suspend U.S. financial support to the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private food distribution organization accused of contributing to the deaths of starving civilians in Gaza.

In a letter sent Sunday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the senators expressed grave concerns about the $30 million in U.S. funding recently pledged to GHF.

They called for an immediate end to American financial backing, citing troubling reports that the group’s food distribution sites guarded by Israeli soldiers and armed contractors have become fatal flashpoints for desperate Palestinians.

“American taxpayers should not be spending one penny to fund this private organization backed by mercenaries and by the IDF that has become a death trap,” Van Hollen said during an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation.

According to the U.N., over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food since late May, with at least 766 deaths occurring at GHF-run sites. Eyewitnesses, including a former U.S. contractor working for GHF, have described scenes of indiscriminate force, including Israeli tanks firing into crowds of unarmed civilians.

The senators’ letter also questions the process through which the $30 million funding was approved, citing reports that the Trump administration authorized it under a “priority directive” that allowed it to bypass the full audit typically required for new USAID grantees.

They are demanding access to GHF’s funding application, supporting documents, and a detailed explanation of who authorized the funding.

Critics argue the GHF has undermined long-established humanitarian norms and lacks the capacity to distribute food safely in war-torn Gaza.

The U.N., which has operated in Gaza for decades, warns that famine is imminent, especially as Israeli military operations and movement restrictions continue to hinder aid access.

Meanwhile, UNICEF has reported that its supplies of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), essential for treating acutely malnourished children, could run out by mid-August.

International pressure is mounting, with France, the UK, and Germany urging Israel to lift restrictions and allow unimpeded humanitarian aid.

Despite Israel announcing new airdrops and humanitarian corridors, the U.N. says current measures remain dangerously insufficient.