DaysofPal – The head of a controversial U.S.- and Israeli-backed humanitarian initiative intended to deliver aid to Gaza has abruptly resigned, casting further doubt on the credibility and future of the project.
In a statement released Sunday, Jake Wood, Executive Director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, announced his resignation, citing the organisation’s inability to operate in accordance with humanitarian principles.
“It has become clear that the aid plan cannot be implemented,” said Wood.
“I urge all relevant parties to continue exploring new and innovative methods for aid delivery.”
Wood also called on Israel to significantly expand access for humanitarian relief into Gaza through all available mechanisms.
His resignation follows mounting criticism from human rights groups. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor recently condemned Israel’s current aid distribution mechanism as a violation of international law and a tool for forced displacement and militarised control.
According to the Monitor, Israel’s aid centres—one south of the Netzarim corridor and three along the Philadelphia axis in southern Gaza—are incapable of safely or adequately meeting humanitarian needs. The group warned that the system is designed to mislead international public opinion while pushing civilians from northern Gaza toward the south.
Civilians are reportedly forced to walk up to 30 kilometres round-trip along unpaved roads, without access to vehicles, simply to retrieve limited food supplies. The Israeli military’s continued blockade of Al-Rasheed Street—the last remaining corridor connecting the north and south—has exacerbated the crisis.
The security screening required at distribution points has also raised alarm, with reports of forced disappearances and arbitrary detentions. The Monitor stated that these procedures “lack legal or humanitarian legitimacy” and represent a “clear violation of international humanitarian aid standards.”
“This is not a humanitarian response,” the Monitor added.
“It is a policy of managing hunger, not relieving it.”
“An Israeli government that uses starvation as a tool of genocide cannot be a partner in humanitarian efforts.”
Adding to the controversy, an investigation by Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed troubling details about the Foundation’s origins. Registered in Switzerland and marketed as a U.S.-based non-profit, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was reportedly created by a secret team close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—without the knowledge of the Israeli military, Ministry of Defence, or the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
The selection of the Foundation to coordinate Gaza’s aid was reportedly overseen by General Roman Gofman, Netanyahu’s military secretary, bypassing public tenders and established security channels.
Israeli security officials expressed shock at the covert process and warned of conflicts of interest and potential personal enrichment. Sources cited by Haaretz alleged that large financial transfers—amounting to millions of shekels—were made without oversight, raising red flags about corruption.
The total cost of the initiative has been estimated at $200 million over six months, further fuelling suspicion within Israel’s own security establishment that personal and economic interests—not humanitarian needs—are driving the project.
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