A US-backed group that is slated by Israel to take over aid distribution in Gaza says it plans to launch its work imminently, despite opposition from the UN and most humanitarian groups and the unexpected resignation of its executive director.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is the linchpin of a new aid system that would wrest distribution away from aid groups led by the UN, which have carried out a massive operation moving food, medicine, fuel, tents and other supplies across Gaza since the war began in October 2023.
The new mechanism limits food distribution to a small number of hubs under guard of armed contractors, where people must go to pick it up. Currently four hubs are being set up, all close to Israeli military positions. Three are in the far south where few Palestinians are located, reports AP.
GHF said in a statement that distribution will start as soon as Monday. “We will not be deterred. Our trucks are loaded and ready to go,” it said.
The group said it planned to reach more than 1 million Palestinians by the end of the week. Gaza has a population of around 2.3 million.
Jake Wood, the American heading the effort, said Sunday night he was resigning because it was clear the organization would not be allowed to operate independently.
Israel has demanded an alternative plan because it accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid. The United Nations and aid groups deny there is significant diversion. They reject the new mechanism, saying it allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and will not be effective.
Israel blocked food, fuel, medicine and all other supplies from entering Gaza for nearly three months, pushing the territory toward famine. Last week, it allowed in a trickle of supplies, saying it would let the UN distribute it only until GHF was running.
The Hamas-run Interior Ministry on Monday warned Palestinians in Gaza against dealing with GHF.
GHF publicly launched early this year and is run by a group of American security contractors, ex-military officers and humanitarian aid officials.
Until resigning, Jake Wood was the face of the foundation. Wood is a US military veteran and co-founder of a disaster relief group called Team Rubicon.
It is unclear who will now run GHF.
It is also unclear who is funding GHF. It claims to have more than $100 million in commitments from a European Union government but has not named the donor. The US and Israel have said they are not funding it.
The GHF’s plan to centralize distribution through hubs is similar to ones designed by Israel.
It says each of its initial four hubs would serve meals for roughly 300,000 people. It has said it will eventually be able to meet the needs of 2 million people. It said it will create more hubs within 30 days, including in the north, but did not specify their exact locations.
Aid will be delivered with the help of private subcontractors transporting supplies in armored vehicles from the Gaza border to the hubs, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid.
Satellite photos from May 10 obtained by AP show what appear to be construction of the hubs. The photos show one in central Gaza, close to the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land held by Israeli troops. Three others are in the area of Rafah, south of the Morag Corridor, another military-held strip.
Almost the entire population is currently in northern Gaza — where no hub is currently located — or in central Gaza. They would have to cross through Israeli military lines to reach the hubs near Rafah.
The UN and aid groups say that the plan would “weaponize aid” for Israel’s military and political purposes and to force the population to move to where it is being distributed, emptying large parts of the territory.
Israel also says that after Hamas is defeated, it will implement a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to relocate the territory’s population outside Gaza, though it portrays migration as “voluntary.” The Palestinians, along with nearly all of the international community, have rejected the idea.
GHF said in a statement it is independent and apolitical and will not be part of any mass displacement.
Israel had previously told aid groups it intends to vet aid recipients and use facial recognition technology. GHF has said food will be given according to need, without eligibility requirements. However, aid groups say recipients will have to pass close to or through Israeli military positions to reach the hubs, exposing them to vetting.
The UN and aid groups also say the GHF plan cannot possibly meet the needs of Gaza’s large and desperate population.
Plans for distributing non-food aid remain uncertain. Also, GHF has said each meal it distributes would have 1,750 calories. That is below the 2,100-calorie per day standard for meals in emergency situations used by the UN’s World Health Organization, UNICEF and World Food Program.