Opposition head MK Yair Lapid questioned the government about the source of funding for two agencies involved in the government’s plan to distribute aid in the Gaza Strip, during a Knesset plenum debate on Monday.

Lapid questioned whether Israel had secretly financed humanitarian aid to Gaza through two shell companies, Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) and Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), established in Switzerland and the US. According to Lapid, Gulf states were expected to fund the aid but declined, citing concerns about the companies’ structure.

Despite this, $100 million appeared in the organizations' budgets, with GHF’s CEO Jake Wood claiming the money came from "a country in western Europe," though no nation has acknowledged it. Wood later resigned, saying the aid plan couldn't fully adhere to humanitarian principles.

Lapid: Government may be deceiving Israeli citizens on Gaza aid

“If this money is indeed Israeli and the government is concealing it, it would not only be a deception of Israeli citizens—whose taxes fund it—but also one of the greatest diplomatic blunders in the country’s history,” Lapid said.

“If our tax money is already purchasing humanitarian aid, funding food and medicine for children in Gaza, then let's at least gain international recognition for it. For once, let’s have global headlines highlighting something positive Israel has done in Gaza.”

A worker enters a truck carrying aid parked at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza, before going into Gaza, on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, May 22, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
A worker enters a truck carrying aid parked at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza, before going into Gaza, on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, May 22, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
“Perhaps [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [National Missions Minister Orit] Strock won’t like it, and maybe Smotrich fears people finding out he authorized the transfer, but the money has already been sent. This benefits Israeli public diplomacy, strengthens foreign relations, and even aligns with Jewish values,” Lapid said.

“The Israeli government should proudly declare that it funds these two organizations and do what it hates most—take responsibility for its actions and accept the consequences,” the opposition leader concluded.