Jake Wood, executive director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, resigned from not believing it is possible to implement the help plan that respects essential humanitarian principles
This Sunday (26), Director of the Humanitarian Foundation of he announced his resignation to office, surprising the international community a day before the official start of the organization’s operations in the Gaza Strip. Wood justified his decision by claiming that the Foundation would not be able to operate in accordance with the fundamental principles of humanitarian assistance, which include humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. Wood’s resignation occurs in a moment of international criticism and distrust of the new humanitarian aid delivery system, which received the endorsement of Israel. The foundation, which was created with the support of the United States and registered in Switzerland, aimed to reach up to one million Palestinians in the first week of activities.
Wood’s departure brought to light weaknesses and contradictions of the project, which already faced resistance from the UN and other humanitarian agencies. In an official statement, Wood pointed out that the Foundation would operate under a large Israeli safety umbrella, which, according to him, would compromise the impartiality of the organization. Project critics point out that the use of private companies and facial recognition technology could transform humanitarian aid into a political and military control instrument. The situation worsened further with new bombing in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of at least 45 Palestinians, according to local authorities. One of the attacks hit a school that was being used as a shelter for civilians, including women and children.
Israel’s army justified the attack by stating that the building was used by Hamas and Islamic jihad militants, although it had no formal evidence to support this claim. The Israeli offensive, which was intensified in May, aims to destroy Hamas infrastructure and release hostages captured in October. Since the beginning of the conflict, more than 53,000 people have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip, where the civilian population faces a serious shortage of food, shelter and medicines. The humanitarian situation in the region remains critical, with the international community, closely observing the developments.
*With information from Eliseu Caetano
*Report produced with the aid of AI
