The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC) is gravely concerned by recent revelations regarding the Israeli-led aid distribution plan in Gaza, which led to the resignation of Jake Wood, Executive Director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Wood, a former U.S. Marine and humanitarian leader, resigned on principle, citing the plan’s failure to uphold core humanitarian standards of neutrality, impartiality, and independence – standards enshrined in international humanitarian law and reaffirmed in the UN’s Guiding Principles on Humanitarian Assistance.
The GHF plan, reportedly backed by Israel and the U.S, seeks to bypass traditional aid mechanisms such as UNRWA, the World Food Programme, and the ICRC, in favour of a system routed through Israeli-controlled hubs and private contractors. CMPAC echoes the concerns raised by Wood and leading humanitarian agencies that such a system politicizes the delivery of aid, threatens the independence of humanitarian actors, and functions as a cover for displacement and coercive control over Palestinian civilians. This politicized and militarized approach threatens the integrity of humanitarian aid and has already failed catastrophically. Reports indicate that during one such distribution, dozens of Palestinians were killed or injured, highlighting both the insecurity and the recklessness of the plan.
Despite these failures, GHF has vowed to proceed. This raises further alarm: the absence of established humanitarian oversight, the proximity to Israeli military forces, and the deliberate marginalization of longstanding humanitarian actors such as the UNRWA, World Food Programme, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), all point to an erosion of trusted humanitarian mechanisms in favour of a securitized and politicized alternative.
CMPAC affirms that humanitarian aid is not a bargaining chip. It must never be contingent upon political allegiance, military cooperation, or regime preferences.
CMPAC strongly urges Canadian aid organizations not to participate in or legitimize this deeply compromised initiative. Canada must take a clear stand and uphold its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. To this end, CMPAC calls on the Government of Canada to:
- Reaffirm its support for established, neutral humanitarian actors, and restore funding to UNRWA.
- Publicly reject frameworks that condition aid on political or military alignment.
- Demand full, independent access for humanitarian agencies in Gaza, free from Israeli control.
- Support investigations into aid operations that may be enabling forced displacement or violating international law.
Aid must not be weaponized. At a time of profound humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza – with over 62,600 killed, mass displacement, and looming famine – Canada must uphold the principle that aid exists to save lives, not serve geopolitical agendas.
