‘Horrified and heartbroken’: Aid chief quits controversial Gaza plan, citing ‘humanitarian principles’

The leader of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Jake Wood, stepped down on Sunday, saying he could no longer the organization’s aid distribution plan because it went against basic humanitarian values. Wood, a former U.S. Marine, had only been in the role for two months. He had previously said he was “horrified and heartbroken” by the hunger crisis in Gaza and felt driven to help.

His resignation raises serious doubts about the controversial Israel-backed plan to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza, a plan that has already faced heavy criticism from international groups and human rights organizations. According to the BBC, the GHF plan, which also has U.S. , involves using private contractors to deliver aid through specific distribution points in southern Gaza that Israel has approved.

Palestinians would then pick up boxes weighing up to 20 kilograms containing food and basic hygiene supplies. This approach has been widely criticized, with concerns that it will be difficult for vulnerable groups to access the aid. This includes the elderly, disabled, injured, and those living far from the distribution points.

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation leader has resigned

The United Nations has outright refused to take part in the plan. The UN’s aid chief, Tom Fletcher, described it as a scheme that would force more people to leave their homes, limit aid to a small area, and use hunger as a negotiation tool. Similar worries were expressed by Jonathan Crick, a spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund, who asked how mothers in difficult situations would be able to carry such heavy packages.

In his resignation statement, Wood stressed that it has become “clear that 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.” While he recognized that the plan tried to balance humanitarian needs with security concerns, he ultimately decided these principles could not be maintained.

The GHF board, however, responded by saying they would not be discouraged and would start delivering aid on Monday, with the goal of reaching one million Palestinians by the end of the week. They accused critics of caring more about keeping things the same than actually getting aid to people. It is hard to deny as we have seen plenty of situations where the U.S. ignored the country.

Israel defends the GHF plan by arguing it is needed to stop Hamas from taking control of the aid, a claim Hamas denies. An Israeli official said the goal is to make Gaza’s population less reliant on Hamas. Still, the plan has faced strong skepticism about where its funding comes from, how it was created, and whether it is logistically possible. The New York Times looked into the GHF’s origins and suggested it may have been developed in Israel by a group of Israeli officials, military officers, and business partners.

The organization’s funding sources are unclear, and reports say potential donors in Europe and Asia have pulled their . There are also concerns about whether the GHF can actually manage aid distribution effectively, especially given its logistical plans and cooperation with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).