Head of U.S.-Backed Gaza Aid Group Resigns Over Neutrality Concerns

Jake Wood, the executive director of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, resigned just weeks after his appointment, citing deep concerns about the group’s independence and humanitarian integrity. The foundation was formed in early May to manage a new aid delivery mechanism to Gaza, bypassing traditional organizations such as the United Nations.

In a public statement, Wood said, “This plan cannot be implemented in strict accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence — principles I will not abandon.”

Aid System Risks Civilian Harm, Say Critics

The aid distribution mechanism, developed with Israeli support, aims to prevent Hamas from accessing humanitarian supplies. It relies on Palestinians physically retrieving aid from designated complexes in southern and central Gaza every five days, amid ongoing military activity.

Critics argue this setup endangers civilians by forcing them to cross active conflict zones and violates humanitarian neutrality. “I will not be part of anything that leads to forced displacement or eviction of the Palestinian population,” Wood stressed.

I will not be part of anything that leads to forced displacement or eviction of the Palestinian population

— Jake Wood, the executive director of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

UN Refuses to Participate

Despite Israeli claims that the system would prevent aid diversion, the United Nations and major humanitarian organizations have declined involvement. They cite both ethical concerns and logistical dangers, warning the plan could worsen displacement and further fragment aid access across Gaza.

Israel has described the plan as essential to ensuring Hamas cannot commandeer humanitarian goods. But aid experts have dismissed those claims as overstated, calling the approach “a drop in the ocean” compared to Gaza’s urgent needs.