An allegedly neutral U.S.-registered Gaza aid group, crafted by Israeli elites, bypasses oversight while Israeli taxpayers unknowingly foot the bill—and Gazans still go hungry, shot at (mostly by Hamas), or worse.

What began as a supposed humanitarian breakthrough has rapidly unraveled into a murky, dangerous, and politically explosive scandal. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), portrayed as a neutral U.S.-based relief organization operating in Gaza, is in fact a covert initiative designed and directed by Israeli insiders, with ties to the highest levels of government, military, and private capital. While the Israeli public was led to believe this operation would offer an answer to Hamas’s theft of aid, what’s emerging instead is a picture of a privatized, foreign-registered enterprise carrying out Israeli policy while bypassing Israeli law, security bodies—and taxpayers’ consent.

This so-called humanitarian venture has not only failed to provide safe and effective aid delivery. It has done so while obscuring its financial backing, dodging basic transparency, and involving security firms with CIA ties operating without Shin Bet clearance. Most damning of all, it was launched and funded with the silent cooperation of Israeli officials, yet out of sight from the very public paying the price.

An Israeli Brainchild in American Clothing

The New York Times first pulled the curtain back, reporting that GHF was conceived in late 2023 by a group of Israeli business elites and reservists frustrated by the government’s lack of strategy for post-war Gaza. Among the core architects: venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg, tech investor Liran Tancman, and Yotam HaCohen, a reservist embedded in the Defense Ministry’s COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories). As hundreds of thousands of reservists were called up after October 7, a new class of hybrid military-business figures emerged—many of whom used their influence to shape policy directly.

Their solution? Circumvent the United Nations and established aid NGOs—accused of letting Hamas siphon off goods—and instead deploy private American contractors to deliver food and supplies in areas under IDF control. In doing so, Israel could weaken Hamas without formally taking responsibility for the Gazan population.

From the start, this was not humanitarian altruism. It was a strategic lever—and a potentially lucrative one.

Enter the CIA

By early 2024, these Israeli players turned to Philip F. Reilly, a former CIA station chief and veteran of American covert ops. Reilly’s firm, Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), was selected to implement the aid distribution on the ground in Gaza. But as Haaretz revealed, this appointment was not subject to the typical Israeli security clearance process. The Shin Bet, IDF, and Defense Ministry were completely bypassed. Instead, Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s military secretary, reportedly selected SRS in a closed-door process, allegedly under pressure from Netanyahu confidants, including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

The move raised red flags within the defense establishment. Why were shadowy American contractors allowed to run point on aid in a war zone—without even the Shin Bet’s knowledge?

Taxpayer Funds, Zero Oversight

Adding to the fury is the mystery surrounding who is paying for all this. GHF claims to have secured over $100 million from a “Western European country.” It refuses to name the donor. Meanwhile, Israeli officials quietly promoted the initiative from within, raising the question: are taxpayer funds helping finance an aid program that the Israeli public overwhelmingly opposes?

Polls have consistently shown that a majority of Israelis do not want to see any aid delivered to Gaza while Hamas still holds hostages. In a war where every calorie and gallon of fuel can be used against IDF soldiers, the idea that Israelis are being taxed to feed their enemies—via a backdoor foreign charity—would be political dynamite if publicly acknowledged.

The fact that the entire operation was designed to appear independent, registered in the U.S., and removed from the public eye suggests one conclusion: Israelis were deliberately kept in the dark.

Aid Drop Turns Deadly

If the foundation’s structure wasn’t scandal enough, the actual aid distribution effort has now become a human catastrophe. On May 26, 2025, GHF launched its first large-scale food distribution in Rafah. Just one day later, Israeli forces opened fire near the aid site, killing 10 Palestinians and injuring 62, according to Gaza health officials. The IDF claimed it fired warning shots after the crowd surged dangerously close to Israeli positions. Witnesses—and some UN officials—say Israeli gunfire was directly responsible for most of the casualties.

Days later, the chaos repeated itself. On June 1, 31 Palestinians were killed and 170 injured at another site. By June 3, a third incident brought the death toll higher: 27 more dead and over 160 wounded. Medical workers on the ground reported that drones, helicopters, and snipers fired on crowds approaching food lines.

The IDF says it is investigating. But in the meantime, GHF suspended all operations. Aid distribution was supposed to resume on June 5, but it didn’t. The situation remains too dangerous, and the credibility of the project lies in shambles.

Executive Resigns

Jake Wood, GHF’s American director and media face, resigned on May 25. His departure statement was damning: “We cannot meet humanitarian objectives under current conditions,” he said, calling on Israel to allow greater aid access and urging Hamas to release hostages. The implication was clear—GHF’s original goal was unachievable under the political and military constraints imposed on the ground.

Wood’s resignation has left a leadership vacuum in an already failing operation, while both Gaza’s population and Israel’s global image continue to suffer.

Swiss Authorities Investigate

GHF isn’t just under scrutiny in Israel and the U.S. Swiss NGO TRIAL International has formally asked Swiss authorities to investigate another GHF entity registered in Geneva. The concern: GHF may be violating international humanitarian law by failing to adhere to the principles of independence and neutrality. Confusingly, multiple organizations using the name “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” exist across jurisdictions, all of them linked through shared legal teams, spokespersons, or origin stories.

What was marketed as a solution to humanitarian impasse is starting to look like a legal, ethical, and strategic fiasco.

The Bigger Picture

Israel’s insistence that UN channels are compromised by Hamas is not unfounded. The October 7 massacre, and the staggering revelations of aid convoys being co-opted by terrorists, demand serious answers. But replacing multilateral mechanisms with CIA-linked contractors under opaque leadership and zero oversight is not a solution—it’s a ticking time bomb.

As of now, over 2 million Gazans remain in crisis. Hamas still holds 58 hostages. And Israeli taxpayers—facing growing economic strain from a war that has no defined end—are learning that the “independent” humanitarian project backed by their own government may be neither effective nor independent.

There’s no clearer example of a well-intentioned strategic concept corrupted by secrecy and arrogance. Israel’s war cabinet must now answer a hard question: Who authorized this shadow operation, and why were the public—and the professionals—shut out?

Until there is accountability, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will remain a symbol not of humanitarian hope—but of governmental betrayal.