Gaza Humanitarian Foundation executive director resigns ahead of aid rollout
Wood also hinted at threats from Israel towards GHF's independence and humanitarian aid activities, Ynet reported.
Jake Wood, founder and executive director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), resigned from his position on Monday.
In his resignation statement, Wood announced that he no longer supports the activities of the humanitarian foundation because he has determined that the program cannot be executed in a way that “upholds the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, and independence.”
Wood concluded his statement by noting his belief that the only path to a sustainable peace is to release all hostages, end the fighting, and provide dignity for all people in the region, Ynet stated.
Wood also hinted at threats from Israel towards GHF’s independence and humanitarian aid activities, Ynet reported.Humanitarian officials have questioned whether GHF’s plans to distribute the aid to Gaza’s civilian population could assist Israel in “forcibly displacing tens of thousands of Gazans,” The Washington Post reported.
Other aid agencies on the ground have already warned that they will not cooperate with GHF, fearing that its plan violates “basic humanitarian principles.”
What is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation?
GHF is a Switzerland-based nonprofit supported by the US and Israel.Both countries hope that GHF will spearhead efforts to distribute aid to Gaza in a way that “prevents Hamas from siphoning the aid for its own use,” according to The Washington Post.
Wood’s resignation amounts to a vote of no confidence against GHF’s plans, which envision using armed private security to protect humanitarian convoys delivering aid to the enclave’s residents, The Washington Post added.
GHF has also been questioned regarding whether it possesses sufficient funding, after major European and Asian donor countries backed out, or a workable logistical plan, including how to coordinate with the IDF, in order to distribute aid in the Gaza Strip, The Washington Post reported.
Swiss authorities, on Sunday, were planning to explore opening a legal investigation into GHF, according to Reuters, after TRIAL International, a Swiss NGO that supports victims of war crimes, asked for authorities to investigate whether GHF’s mission “aligns with Swiss and international humanitarian law.”
Wood’s announcement also comes amid the delay in opening aid centers across the Gaza Strip due to logistical issues. The US was meant to begin distributing aid on Saturday, but it was later changed to Sunday. However, the aid was still not delivered, according to a Ynet report.
GHF releases statement in response to resignation
The Board of GHF stated that they were “disappointed to learn of Jake Wood’s sudden resignation.”“We will not be deterred. Our trucks are loaded and ready to go. Beginning Monday, May 26, GHF will begin direct aid delivery in Gaza, reaching over one million Palestinians by the end of the week. We plan to scale rapidly to serve the full population in the weeks ahead,” the board confirmed.
“GHF will deliver a practical, immediate, and secure approach to delivering essential aid – one that ensures the dignity of Gazans and that is fully consistent with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. With time, we are confident that everyone will see that for themselves,” they said.
The GHF added that Wood “has been a passionate advocate for the need to safely deliver humanitarian assistance to Gazans without diversion or delay and achieved real progress for the entire humanitarian community in the short time he was involved in this effort. The fact that aid is beginning to trickle back into Gaza is a testament to his work.”
“Unfortunately, from the moment GHF was announced, those who benefit from the status quo have been more focused on tearing this apart than on getting aid in, afraid that new, creative solutions to intractable problems might actually succeed,” they stated.
