US official bypassed safeguards to fast-track $30m to GHF: Report

A US State Department official bypassed nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to approve a $30m aid package for the Gaza aid group backed by Israel and the Trump administration, a news report says.

According to an internal memo obtained by the Reuters news agency, Jeremy Lewin, head of the State Department’s foreign aid programme, signed off on the funding just five days after the GHF submitted its proposal on June 19.

The June 24 memorandum, bearing Lewin’s signature, noted the group’s plan failed to meet “minimum technical or budgetary standards”. Despite that, Lewin approved the funds after consulting aides to Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s negotiator on Gaza, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s office.