The CEO of the new Israeli and US-backed organization that was supposed to begin managing the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza in the coming days has resigned.

“I am proud of the work I oversaw, including developing a pragmatic plan that could feed hungry people, address security concerns about diversion, and complement the work of longstanding NGOs in Gaza,” said Gaza Humanitarian Foundation CEO Jake Wood in a statement on Sunday.

“However, it is clear that 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 added.

GHF was created earlier this year as Israel tried to advance a new mechanism for distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza, while preventing its diversion from Hamas, which Israel accuses of siphoning off aid, hoarding supplies, and selling aid in markets to pay its operatives.

Israel wanted to create a small number of distribution sites in southern Gaza where pre-selected family representatives would be able to pick up a heavy box full of food for their families in a zone secured and operated by American private contractors.

While technically an American company, GHF was established in close coordination with Israeli authorities in order to manage the new aid initiative.

However, GHF still needed support and cooperation from existing humanitarian organizations as it sought to gain credibility on the ground.

That backing has yet to come, though, with the UN and other international organizations in Gaza vowing not to cooperate with GHF, arguing that its aid initiative violated humanitarian principles by requiring Gazans to walk long distances in order to retrieve aid and limiting distribution to southern Gaza in what would forcibly displace the Palestinian population.

There were also questions about GHF’s funding, which has not been transparent, along with a memo it sent out to potential donors that named two individuals on its leadership who said they weren’t involved in the initiative and admitted to only being able to initially feed 60% of Gaza’s population.

Wood, a former Marine and social entrepreneur, tried to dispel concerns when he announced that Israel had agreed to GHF’s demands to allow for the establishment of additional distribution sites throughout Gaza and to restart the distribution aid through existing mechanisms last week until GHF is operational on the ground.

A senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel last week that GHF’s target date for beginning operations was this weekend, but that did not happen.

Further complicating matters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said last week that in the third stage of Israel’s aid operations, distribution would be limited to a small area in southern Gaza secured by the IDF — in what would go against Wood’s assertion that he would not limit distribution to one part of the Strip.

Wood said he was approached about leading GHF two months ago due to his experience in humanitarian operations and stressed that he sought to “establish it as a truly independent humanitarian entity.”

“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 added.

Wood’s resignation marks a major blow to Israel’s effort to resume aid in Gaza on its own terms, and it’s unclear whether GHF will be able to march on.

Among other challenges, Wood’s resignation is likely to bury chances for GHF to be able to fundraise from countries abroad, as the reasons he gave for stepping down appeared to echo fears already voiced by the UN and international organizations already operating on the ground that were asked to cooperate with the foundation in order to ensure its success.

The American security contractors that GHF is working with arrived in Israel earlier this month in order to enter Gaza and begin managing the distribution sites.

While Wood appeared willing to work within the strict provisions set up by Israel, his resignation statement indicated that his flexibility had reached a limit.

“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 said.

“I continue to believe the only sustainable path for the long-term is for Hamas to release all hostages, for there to be a cessation of hostilities, and a pathway for peace, security, and dignity for all people in the region.”

Wood’s resignation from GHF came days after Israel announced last week that it would start allowing a limited number of aid trucks to enter Gaza under the pre-existing mechanisms after more than two months of a total aid blockade.

The decision to allow aid to start flowing again coincided with the start of the IDF’s new, major offensive in the Strip dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” the goal of which is to defeat Hamas’s military wing and its civil rule in Gaza, should the terror group not agree to release the remaining hostages it is holding.

The military said on Sunday that it aims to occupy 75 percent of the Gaza Strip’s territory within two months as part of the new offensive.

As part of the offensive’s opening stages, the military has significantly stepped up its airstrikes across the war-torn enclave, deployed five divisions — or tens of thousands of troops — to the Strip, and is poised to launch a wide-scale ground offensive.

The US appeared to be less than enthusiastic about the new offensive, however, with US President Donald Trump telling reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he was hopeful there would soon be a positive development in the ceasefire negotiations.

“We want to see if we can stop that, and Israel. We’ve been talking to them and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation,” he said.

To that end, various Hebrew media outlets reported on Sunday that US officials have requested that it delay its expanded ground operation in order to allow time for hostage deal and ceasefire negotiations with Hamas to continue.

According to a report from i24 News, which cited two sources familiar with the issue, the US has asked Israel to hold off on fully implementing its planned offensive and to instead conduct more limited military operations that allow for continued negotiations.

Ynet later reported that Netanyahu convened security consultations with senior defense officials on Sunday evening to discuss the pressure from Washington.

The US has continued its negotiations with Hamas, even after Netanyahu pulled Israel’s negotiating team from the talks in Doha last week, citing Hamas’ refusal to accept a US proposal for a short-term ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the living hostages.

Unlike the Doha talks, which are being mediated by US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, the direct negotiations with Hamas are being conducted through a backchannel by US-Palestinian businessman Bishara Bahbah.