Jake Wood’s resignation from the US-endorsed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation exposes deep concerns over political interference and ethical breaches in aid delivery to a starving population.
The executive director of the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has resigned just weeks after the organization’s launch, citing fundamental violations of humanitarian principles and calling for a significant expansion of aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Jake Wood, a US military veteran and founder of the disaster relief NGO Team Rubicon, stepped down from his post as head of GHF, stating he could no longer reconcile the foundation’s operations with the core principles of humanitarian work—humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
“It is 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,” Wood was quoted as saying in a statement published by CNN.
🚨BREAKING: Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) Director Resigns
Jake Wood has resigned as Executive Director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Israeli plan for aid distribution in Gaza that bypasses established NGO and UN channels.
Wood cites an inability to implement… pic.twitter.com/FTAoxfcnu3
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) May 25, 2025
Wood’s sudden resignation comes just as GHF was preparing to begin large-scale aid deliveries in Gaza, with promises to ramp up operations to feed the Strip’s entire population “in the weeks ahead.”
GHF expressed disappointment over his departure, accusing critics of prioritizing political attacks over the urgent need to get food and medicine to those in need.
The organization had announced plans to start delivering aid this month following consultations with Israeli officials.
However, it has faced harsh criticism from humanitarian actors and UN agencies, who warn that GHF’s close coordination with Israeli authorities risks undermining the neutrality of humanitarian operations and potentially endangering civilians.
In his resignation letter, Wood said he was asked to lead the initiative two months ago due to his experience in emergency response. He said he was “horrified and heartbroken” by the hunger crisis in Gaza and felt morally compelled to act.
“I was proud of the work we accomplished, including developing a comprehensive plan to feed the hungry, ensuring aid delivery security, and working in support of long-standing humanitarian groups in Gaza,” Wood noted.
“But it became increasingly clear that we could not implement this plan without compromising on basic humanitarian ethics. That is a line I cannot cross.”
The GHF was founded earlier this year and registered in Geneva, receiving public endorsement from the United States three weeks ago. However, details of Washington’s involvement or financial contribution remain undisclosed.
Wood’s resignation, first reported on Sunday, has been widely interpreted as a major setback for Israel’s efforts to present an alternative humanitarian channel under its control, as mounting international pressure demands unfettered humanitarian access into Gaza.
In his final statement, Wood urged Israel to dramatically increase the entry of humanitarian aid through all available mechanisms and called on all actors to explore new and effective ways of addressing the famine engulfing Gaza.
Children, Civlians Burned Alive as Israeli Warplanes Target School, Home in Gaza
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—backed by the United States—has waged a full-scale assault on the Gaza Strip, killing or wounding over 176,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children. More than 14,000 people remain missing, many believed buried under rubble.
The war has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history, with widespread famine, the collapse of the health system, and continued Israeli restrictions on aid delivery.
(PC, AJA, AA)
NGO…Non-Governmental Organization.
in other words, CIA. The CIA is a civilian foreign intelligence organization. It’s already been stated that ex-CIA agents will be handling the ” aid ” there. Obviously this is just another way to stall, while more children starve to death. THIS is where YOUR taxes go: murdering innocent civilians and decimating entire city blocks, murdering entire families in one fell swoop with US made weapons. We would give our money to Palestine and Gaza, then we’d be called pro-Hamas. We say, please stop killing babies…we’re called pro-Hamas. We say the Zionists are child-killers who have been exploiting the Jews…we’re called antisemites. We’re damned either way.