Head of controversial Gaza aid group rejects expulsion of Palestinians

Head of controversial Gaza aid group rejects expulsion of Palestinians

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel has agreed to allow some food aid into Gaza until a newly approved aid delivery mechanism becomes operational later this month, according to the chief executive of the newly formed agency Gaza Humanitarian Foundation told CNN.

Urgent need for action in Gaza

Jake Wood, the foundation's executive director, said he did not yet know when or how many aid shipments Israel would allow into Gaza. However, conditions on the ground are “obviously urgent” and he expects “positive news in the coming days.”

Israeli government reactions

The Israeli government has blocked aid deliveries to Gaza for nearly 11 weeks and has not responded to multiple requests for comment on the issue.

New mechanism for aid delivery

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will operate a new, tightly controlled mechanism for aid delivery to Gaza, approved by Israel and the United States. Both countries say this mechanism is designed to prevent Hamas from diverting aid.

UN aid organizations express concerns

The leading aid organizations of the United Nations However, declare that there is no evidence of significant diversion of aid in Gaza and refuse to participate in the new aid mechanism. They warn that this risks displacing Palestinians and increasing the dangers they face.

Call for UN reconsideration

In his first interview since the foundation's founding, Wood also addressed criticism from the UN and other aid organizations and urged them to reconsider their views. “This plan is not perfect, but it will feed people through the end of the month, in a scenario where no one has approved relief supplies over the last 10 weeks,” Wood said.

Decision about help

Wood added: "Ultimately the community will face a choice. This will be the mechanism through which aid can be distributed in Gaza. Are you prepared to participate? The answer will be crucial to whether we can adequately provide care for 2.2 million people in a very desperate situation."

Challenges for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

Without the support of major UN agencies, he said it is “difficult to say” whether his foundation can provide enough aid to feed Gaza’s 2.1 million residents. The foundation currently plans to provide 300 million meals in the first 90 days, which Wood acknowledges is “not enough.”

Misinformation about the situation

Wood believes that much of the humanitarian community's opposition to the new mechanism is based on misinformation, including false claims about the Israeli military providing direct security to aid locations and sharing biometric data with the Israeli government. "I can't blame the humanitarian community for crying out under this misinformation. I wouldn't have participated in a plan that did things like that. But that's not the plan," Wood said.

Opening of distribution locations

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will initially open four distribution sites: three in southern Gaza and one in central Gaza, Wood said. It should be noted that a large part of the population of the strip is in the central and northern regions.

Planned locations in northern Gaza

Wood indicated that Israel has also agreed to allow the foundation to establish two sites in northern Gaza, which he said can be operational within the first 30 days of the foundation's operations.

Covering 60% of the population

In the first few weeks, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is expected to be able to serve only around 60% of Gaza's population. Wood said it is unclear how long it will take to meet the needs of the entire population.

The role of the Israeli military

Responding to Israeli statements that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid - which both Hamas and aid groups deny - Wood said: "It ultimately doesn't matter. Israel controls access to Gaza, and if it believes that a large share of the aid is being intercepted by Hamas and other non-state actors, we need to create a mechanism that works within that framework."

Mission of the Gazahumanitarian Foundation

The foundation's operations are secured by a private American security contractor, UG Solutions, which managed a vehicle checkpoint in Gaza earlier this year during the ceasefire. Wood, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, said contractors will be responsible for protecting aid shipments from the Gaza border to distribution sites, but will not be involved in distributing aid to civilians.

Compliance with international laws

Wood said they will operate "under strict rules of engagement," which he declined to elaborate on for operational security reasons, but he said they will abide by international laws and norms.