Humanitarian Aid Distribution Program In The Gaza Strip

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is an American organization, based in Delaware, established in February 2025 to distribute humanitarian aid during the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis. Formerly led by executive director Jake Wood until his resignation on May 25, 2025, it has the backing of the Trump administration and the Israeli government. It has been criticised by the United Nations and humanitarian groups for politicizing aid distribution, with well-established humanitarian groups saying the GHF is giving cover for Israel to pursue its aims to depopulate Palestinians from Gaza, and its former head questioning the group's impartiality and neutrality upon his resignation.

As of June 17, 2025, over 400 Palestinians have been killed and over 3,000 have been wounded by Israel while seeking aid, including from GHF sites. Survivors of the repeated mass killings perpetrated at the distribution sites have begun to refer to the Israeli-backed operation as traps or death traps rather than aid. As a result, the Center for Constitutional Rights has sent a legal notice to the GHF of potential liability for complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against Palestinians.

Background

Since the start of the Gaza war, at least 52,700 Palestinians have been killed. Due to Israeli checkpoints into Gaza, the Israeli government and IDF have controlled the entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza, with aid delivery disrupted multiple times over the years, either via Israeli government blockades or Israeli civilian actions. Since March 2, 2025, very little humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza, with concerns about famine in Gaza being raised by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

According to a report by ''The New York Times'', the idea of an Israeli-backed private food distribution program was discussed in December 2023. Throughout 2024, Israeli officials worked with private American security contractors, primarily CIA veteran Philip Reilly, to develop a plan. Reilly later launched the security company Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) in January 2025, which was tasked with securing food distribution sites in Gaza. On 16 June 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the foundation was an initiative that originated in Israel.

Organization

Jake Wood, the initial executive director, is a former US marine and co-founder of disaster relief agency Team Rubicon. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was registered in February 2025 in Delaware with a contingency filing in Geneva that was being wound down. It has not released information on its funding sources. Former CEO of World Central Kitchen Nate Mook was described as a board member on early GHF documents, but has stated that he is not on the board.

The plan would use a small number of distribution hubs, mostly in southern Gaza, secured by the Israeli military and private US-based contractors, without the aid of IDF members. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee indicated to reporters that IDF troops will be stationed "at a distance" from the hubs for additional protection. The plan is similar to earlier plans by the Israeli military, and contrasts with models by the UN and other international agencies which involve hundreds of smaller distribution points throughout the Gaza strip.

Aid officials said they will screen people for involvement with Hamas militants, perhaps using facial recognition or biometric technology.

The stations would distribute aid only once or twice a month at specific locations, with aid being described as pre-packaged rations, hygiene kits, and medical supplies. Their proposal indicates that each meal was budgeted around $1.30 which would include procurement and distribution costs.

Executive director Jake Wood asserted that he "unequivocally ... will not be part of anything that forcibly dislocates or displaces the Palestinian population."

In June 2025, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) terminated its contract with the GHF. BCG helped create the GHF in coordination with Israel and was responsible for setting prices for contractors. BCG said that the work was done "pro bono" but The Washington Post reported that BCG submitted invoices of over $1 million per month. BCG fired two senior partners, calling the work they oversaw for GHF "unauthorized".

Executive director transition

On May 25, 2025, Wood announced that he was stepping down because it was impossible to meet the foundation's objectives while "strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, which I will not abandon." He also called on Israel to allow significantly more aid to enter Gaza through all pathways and for such aid to be allowed in without diversion or discrimination, while also calling on Hamas to release the hostages. The GHF said its operations would begin without Wood, and that it would be feeding more than one million Palestinians within a week. As of June 12, former USAID official John Acree serves as interim director.

On June 3, American evangelical leader and businessman Johnnie Moore Jr. was appointed Executive Chairman of GHF.

Operations

The Foundation began operations May 26, 2025 at a new distribution centre in Rafah. By the end of its first day of operations, GHF reported that it had distributed 8,000 food boxes, estimated to feed 44,000 people for half a week — covering only about 2% of Gaza’s population. On June 12, it reported a daily distribution of 2.6 million meals, the highest daily output since the start of its operations.

Program characteristics

The program – known as the "Humanitarian Aid Distribution Program in the Gaza Strip" – is a joint American- Israeli program by the GHF designed to facilitate the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid (such as food, medicine, and supplies) to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, in response to the 11 week blockade of food entry into Gaza imposed by Israel. The program began operating on May 26, 2025.

Four distribution centers have been built. Three of them in the Tel al-Sultan refugee camp near the Morag Corridor that separates Rafah and Khan Yunis and one of them on the Netzarim Corridor at the center of the Gaza Strip.

The facilities are secured by American contractors and monitored by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from a distance. GHF has pledged not to share any personally identifiable information about aid recipients with Israeli authorities.

The assistance primarily includes food packages, drinking water, medicine, and tents. However, a June 13 report on Devex says that it does not provide fuel, water, sanitation, shelter, or health care.

On June 12, 2025, the GHF reported that a bus carrying about two dozen Palestinian GHF workers was attacked by Hamas, killing at least 8 and causing multiple injuries. Hamas said that they had killed 12 members of the Israeli-backed Popular Forces militia.

Responses

The operation has been criticized for " istractingfrom what is actually needed" by a UN spokesman. The UN and many other aid groups refuse to cooperate with the GHF and accuse them of " eaponisingaid".

These groups have raised concerns about the exclusion of those with mobility issues, an increase of displacement, the exposure of thousands of people to harm and that the aid will be conditional on political and military aims, which could set an "unacceptable" precedent for aid delivery around the world.

The aid boxes also weigh 20 kg and must be carried by hand, which potentially excludes weak and injured people.

Israel claims that an alternative distribution pathway to the one of the UN is needed since Hamas allegedly steals aid, which the group has denied. UN officials have also said the looting of Gaza aid has nothing to do with Hamas, and aid workers have stated that looting is instead being performed by the "Popular Forces", an ISIS-linked Palestinian gang supported and armed by Israel.

The program has also been criticized for their attempt to subvert the UN pathway and Switzerland is currently investigating GHF.

The United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher, raised doubts about the humanitarian aspect of the foundation and concerns about Israel's involvement and intentions. Fletcher called the foundation a "fig leaf for further violence and displacement" for Palestinians in Gaza and a "deliberate distraction" to the ongoing issues within Gaza due to the war. Fletcher said that the plan makes aid conditional on Israel's political and military aims, and "makes starvation a bargaining chip". Executive director Jake Wood said that it is the only aid model with the approval of Israel. A UN official accused GHF of "weaponizing aid". A UNICEF spokesperson said of the GHF after repeated mass shooting of starving Palestinians at distribution sites that, "These are not humanitarians, they are people with guns."

The GHF plan is backed by the Trump administration. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the GHF plan, stating that "humanitarian aid cannot be weaponized" and that most of the aid sent by Europe to Gaza is "behind the borders and is not reaching people."

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid suggested that the GHF and the American Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) are shell companies used to hide Israeli government funding.

TRIAL International, a Swiss NGO which supports victims of war crimes, asked the Swiss government to investigate whether GHF's aid plan complied with Swiss and international humanitarian law. TRIAL said the GHF's plan was not neutral and would result in forced displacement of Gazans. GHF is a registered non-profit in Switzerland and Delaware. GHF said it would move all its operations to the United States after the Swiss government said it was not in compliance with rules for foundations registered in Switzerland. GHF said its "Swiss entity was created as a contingency; is not operational; and is being wound down".

References

External links

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) Safe Transparent Aid for Gaza
- Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
Official website
''(currently inactive)''
GHF official Facebook page
on Facebook
{{Gaza war

Gaza Strip humanitarian crisis
Organizations established in 2025
2025 in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip in the Israel–Hamas war
Hunger relief organizations
Humanitarian aid organizations
Non-profit organizations based in Delaware
Organizations involved in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
2025 establishments in the United States
Second Trump administration controversies
Reactions to the Gaza war in the United States
Violations of medical neutrality during the Gaza war