Head of Controversial Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Mounting Backlash
Israel-backed humanitarian plan under fire for bypassing global norms as hunger crisis worsens
The head of a highly controversial, Israeli-backed aid group operating in Gaza has resigned a move that reignites fierce debate over the politicization of humanitarian relief in a war-torn region where starvation has become a deadly weapon.
Jake Wood, a former U.S. Marine and the now-former director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), stepped down late Sunday, declaring the operation “untenable” under universally accepted humanitarian standards.
“It is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence which I will not abandon,” Wood said in a scathing resignation statement.
Wood’s departure is the latest blow to a plan that has been slammed by the UN, rejected by global NGOs, and viewed by many as an attempt to privatize and militarize aid delivery in a way that may deepen Gaza’s humanitarian nightmare rather than resolve it.
A Controversial Plan Born in Secrecy
The GHF was launched with support from both Israel and the U.S., but its origins have come under intense scrutiny. A New York Times investigation revealed the plan may have been conceived by a network of Israeli military officials, intelligence veterans, and business elites raising concerns about hidden agendas and lack of transparency.
The group proposed to distribute food and hygiene kits via four Israeli-controlled checkpoints in southern Gaza, with Palestinians required to collect 20kg (44-pound) aid packages often from several kilometers away.
Critics quickly pointed out the glaring flaw: How do the sick, elderly, and wounded make such a journey? What about mothers with multiple children or people living under bombardment?
UN and Aid Groups Sound the Alarm
The United Nations flatly refused to take part, calling the plan dangerously flawed. Tom Fletcher, the UN’s humanitarian chief, warned that the setup would not only cause further displacement but could weaponize starvation by limiting aid to selected zones.
“This plan forces people to choose between starvation and further displacement,” Fletcher said. “It turns food into a bargaining chip.”
The World Food Programme recently declared that Gaza’s entire population is on the brink of starvation, while UN reports confirm 57 children have already died of malnutrition since Israel’s blockade began.
GHF Defends Itself: “Our Trucks Are Ready”
Despite Wood’s resignation and the global backlash, the GHF insists it will push forward. In a bold response statement, the organization said it would begin aid deliveries on Monday, aiming to reach one million Palestinians by the end of the week.
“Critics benefiting from the status quo have focused more on tearing this apart than getting aid in,” the group said. “Our trucks are loaded and ready to go.”
The group also accused established aid organizations of being resistant to “new, creative solutions” though it failed to explain how creativity justifies bypassing humanitarian norms.
Militarized Aid? Experts Say Yes
Global experts aren’t convinced. Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, called GHF’s approach “militarized, privatised, politicised”, saying it violates the very neutrality required to deliver aid in conflict zones.
“The people behind this are ex-CIA, ex-military. Let’s go back to the system that actually worked,” Egeland told the BBC.
That “system” UN-led aid has been largely shut down due to the Israeli blockade, now in its 11th week. Though Israel slightly eased restrictions last week, allowing in a trickle of aid trucks, the UN says it’s “a drop in the ocean”.
Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Since October 7, 2023 when Hamas launched a surprise attack killing 1,200 Israelis and taking 251 hostages Gaza has endured an unrelenting military campaign. The Hamas-run health ministry now reports over 53,900 deaths, including 16,500 children.
The scale of destruction is staggering. Hospitals are in ruins, aid convoys face constant shelling, and makeshift tents house families clinging to survival. Aid groups warn that starvation is spreading faster than food supplies can arrive.
“How is a widow with four children supposed to carry 20kg of food from a distribution point miles away?” asked Jonathan Crick of UNICEF. “This plan is not aid it’s abandonment.”
Final Thoughts: Aid or Agenda?
Jake Wood’s resignation lays bare a fundamental dilemma: Can humanitarian aid exist outside the boundaries of humanitarian law? GHF’s plan may deliver food, but at what cost to dignity, neutrality, and global trust?
In a region already torn apart by war, the last thing Gaza needs is a rebranding of aid as strategy especially when lives hang in the balance.
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Head of Controversial Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Mounting Backlash