US Marine vet quits Gaza relief effort, says Israel not doing enough for Palestinians

A US Marine veteran tapped to head a new Gaza aid operation backed by Israel and the US has stepped down, saying that Israel is not doing enough for the Palestinian population in Gaza.

Jake Wood resigned from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) late Sunday, expressing concern that the operation had veered too far from the accepted standards of humanitarian relief. “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,” he said in a public statement, according to BBC.

“I urge Israel to significantly expand the provision of aid into Gaza through all mechanisms, and I urge all stakeholders to continue to explore innovative new methods for the delivery of aid, without delay, diversion, or discrimination,” he added.

Wood was asked to take the leadership role two months ago due to his background in emergency relief work. He said he was motivated to provide food for those in Gaza. “Like many others around the world, I was horrified and heartbroken at the hunger crisis in Gaza and, as a humanitarian leader, I was compelled to do whatever I could to help alleviate the suffering,” he said at the time.

The GHF model was created with Israeli and American support and relies on private contractors as well as distribution points approved by Israel. The from Israel offers Palestinians 20-kilogram boxes containing food and hygiene supplies at four sites in southern Gaza.

A UN children’s fund spokesperson claimed Israel was not doing enough because the packages being dropped off in Gaza were too heavy, "How is a mother of four children, who has lost her husband, going to carry 20kg back to her makeshift tent, sometimes several kilometers away?"

"The most vulnerable people, including the elderly, people with disabilities, the sick and wounded, and orphans, will face huge challenges to access aid,” the UN spokesman added.

Despite the backlash and Wood’s resignation, GHF issued a statement, saying that critics "who benefit from the status quo have been more focused on tearing this apart than on getting aid in, afraid that new, creative solutions to intractable problems might actually succeed."

An Israeli government official said the strategy’s aim was to reduce the Palestinians’ dependence on Hamas. Israel has said that the terrorist group intercepts humanitarian supplies and reports have backed up the allegations.

United Nations has distanced itself from the plan, with UN aid chief Tom Fletcher claiming, “Starvation should not be used as a bargaining chip.”

Following Hamas’s deadly October 7 assault on Israel, which left around 1,200 dead and 251 kidnapped, Israel launched a massive military campaign against the Hamas terrorists, who still have several hostages in Gaza.