Tell GoFundMe to stop blocking fundraising efforts for Gaza

Since March 2025, when Israel ended the ceasefire and enforced a total blockade on international aid to Gaza, the humanitarian situation has become unimaginably dire. With the launch of the Israeli-U.S.

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation-widely criticized for enabling attacks on Palestinians attempting to reach aid distribution points-over 1,000 people have reportedly been killed while trying to access basic necessities.

In this suffocating environment, where access to food, water, and medical supplies is critically limited and prices have become astronomical (a 25kg bag of flour now costs between $300 and $500)¹"Gaza: Flour prices soar to $300 a bag after more than 50 days without new aid deliveries," ActionAid, April 24, 2025., ordinary civilians have turned to the only option left: crowdfunding.

Yet even that lifeline is being cut.

GoFundMe, the world's largest crowdfunding platform, has been repeatedly accused of shutting down or restricting Palestinian-led fundraising campaigns, despite the grave humanitarian crisis. According to user testimonies and multiple news reports, although millions of dollars have been raised for Gaza through the platform, many fundraisers have faced excessive scrutiny, sudden removals, and long delays in releasing funds. In some cases, this has resulted in refunds and lost opportunities to provide urgent support on the ground.

One such case involves The Sameer Project, a mutual aid initiative that raised over $1 million to fund a displacement camp in Deir el-Balah. The project, which provided healthcare and other essentials funded entirely by donations, was abruptly shut down by GoFundMe. Organizers submitted detailed receipts and documentation, but the platform failed to respond or justify the removal.

This isn't an isolated incident. GoFundMe's actions appear to follow a pattern of discriminatory scrutiny toward Palestinian-related fundraisers, while campaigns for other causes in the same region face significantly fewer obstacles.

At a time when Gaza is facing what many are calling forced starvation, platforms like GoFundMe must act as bridges, not barriers. Instead, they are actively hindering access to survival funds and stalling the very grassroots efforts that offer hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.

Advocates Are Demanding Change

A coalition of advocacy organizations led by the Palestinian digital rights group 7amleh, MPower Change, and dozens of others have issued clear and immediate demands²"GoFundMe Must Stop Blocking Lifesaving Fundraising Campaigns to Gaza," 7amleh, accessed July 29, 2025. to GoFundMe:

• Reinstate all legitimate Gaza-related fundraisers that were removed or restricted without cause.
• Release withheld funds and donor information to campaign organizers.
• Provide transparency in its verification and compliance processes, including disaggregated data by country and cause.
• End discriminatory scrutiny of Palestinian-related campaigns and apply policies equally across all fundraisers.
• Establish a clear, expedited appeals process for fundraisers in crisis zones like Gaza.

GoFundMe has served as a lifeline for millions around the world facing disaster, displacement, or despair. But by blocking, stalling, or restricting legitimate aid efforts for Gaza-amid an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe-it is failing its mission.

This is not just a matter of policy; it's a matter of life and death.

Take Action

Tell GoFundMe to stop blocking fundraising efforts for Gaza. Support the campaign to ensure that Palestinians can access the funds they need to survive-when every moment counts.

The original article was published on Action Network. Click here to access it.