New US-Israel Backed Aid Group Faces Crisis as Director Resigns Over Independence Concerns
A controversial humanitarian initiative backed by Israel and the United States is moving forward with aid distribution in Gaza despite the resignation of its executive director, who cited concerns about the organization’s neutrality, Al Jazeera reports.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced plans Monday to begin delivering food and medicine to 1 million Palestinians this week, with ambitions to scale up to serving Gaza’s entire 2.3 million population. The announcement came just hours after executive director Jake Wood stepped down, declaring he could no longer lead an organization that compromised “the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.”
The development highlights growing tensions over aid delivery in the besieged territory, where UN agencies warn 93% of the population faces acute food insecurity. While Israel recently approved “minimal” aid shipments after a two-month blockade, humanitarian groups say far more is needed to prevent mass starvation.
The GHF’s model – which requires Palestinians to collect aid at centralized distribution points – has drawn sharp criticism from major relief organizations:
UN agencies have refused to cooperate, warning the plan forces civilians to cross military lines and risks undermining existing aid networks
Critics suspect the system aims to advance Israel’s apparent goal of depopulating northern Gaza by concentrating aid in the south
The New York Times reported the group emerged from private meetings between Israeli officials and their allies
The controversy unfolds amid what aid agencies describe as a man-made famine:
Latest reports indicate at least 27 children have died from starvation in recent weeks
Only a trickle of aid has reached civilians despite Israel’s partial lifting of the blockade
Experts accuse Israel of using food access as “a weapon of war”
