The Israel-backed NGO tasked with overseeing a highly controversial militarised aid delivery plan in Gaza has vowed to move forward with its rollout, just hours after the abrupt resignation of its director exposed mounting chaos and uncertainty behind the scenes.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said overnight that it would begin transporting supplies into the Strip on Monday, accusing its critics of being "more focused on tearing [the plan] apart than on getting aid in".
The statement followed the shock departure of its executive director, US military veteran Jake Wood, who on Sunday joined UN and humanitarian agencies in declaring that the Israeli-designed plan violates core humanitarian principles.
GHF expressed "disappointment" at Wood's resignation and confirmed it would begin implementing the operation.
"We will not be deterred. Our trucks are loaded and ready to go," the organisation alleged. "Beginning Monday, 26 May, GHF will begin direct aid delivery in Gaza, reaching over 1 million Palestinians by the end of the week. We plan to scale rapidly to serve the full population in the weeks ahead."
The plan - drawn up by Israeli officials in November and approved by ministers this month - will see GHF replace the UN-run coordination system with a militarised framework controlled by Israeli forces, American private contractors, and drones.
Under the new system, hundreds of aid distribution sites currently run by relief agencies will be replaced by just four GHF-operated centres.
Palestinian civilians will be required to undergo biometric screening to receive food.
Three hubs in Rafah and one in central Gaza are expected to cover around 60 percent of the population, leaving an estimated one million Palestinians in northern Gaza without access.
An investigation by The Washington Post over the weekend revealed internal discussions about the creation of guarded "humanitarian transition areas" to detain tens of thousands of Palestinians.
GHF planners reportedly expressed concern that these facilities would be perceived as concentration camps.
The scheme has triggered widespread outcry among humanitarian organisations and several of Israel's closest allies, who have refused to cooperate with a system they say breaches fundamental humanitarian norms.
The UN has warned that the structure was designed to force Palestinians to move south to access aid, in line with Israeli government ambitions to expel Palestinians from the north.
Israel has defended the plan by accusing Hamas of looting aid, though it has not provided evidence.
Officials have also framed it as a humanitarian initiative to support civilians suffering under Israel’s 11-week blockade.
Recent quantities of aid allowed into Gaza have been described by the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, as a "teaspoon" compared to the need. Aid groups say 500 trucks a day are required to prevent large-scale starvation.
According to The Washington Post, confusion and concern have spread within GHF and among top Israeli military officials. Israeli chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, reportedly stated that it had remained unclear how Israeli forces would operate alongside the private mercenary teams deployed on the ground.
Aid agencies, all of which have declined to participate in the scheme, say they remain in the dark. “We know very little about the mechanics of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,” Rachel Cummings, humanitarian director at Save the Children, told Al Jazeera on Monday.
The plan’s rollout comes as Israel prepares a full-scale ground offensive aimed at taking control of the entire Gaza Strip. In the lead-up to the operation, Israeli airstrikes have intensified, killing dozens of civilians each day and targeting hospitals across the territory.