Netanyahu Handpicked GHF Without Army’s Knowledge—Israeli Businessmen Among Its Owners
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Several Israeli businessmen are among the owners of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which presents itself as a US-based organization, according to a new Haaretz investigation.
The report reveals that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally selected GHF to control aid distribution in Gaza—without a public tender and without informing the military. The decision bypassed the Israeli army, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), and all standard government channels.
GHF was picked by Major General Roman Gopman, Netanyahu’s military secretary. Gopman reportedly formed a shadow team of reserve officers and private businessmen to promote GHF without informing key defense officials. The group, dubbed “Gopman’s Team,” held meetings with GHF representatives in Israel and abroad. It also approved millions of shekels in funding for GHF’s headquarters.
Sources in Israel’s defense establishment said they were surprised to learn of the company’s selection. Many had never heard of GHF before, including those directly involved in humanitarian coordination.
Critics are raising serious questions about the secretive process and potential conflicts of interest. Businessman Shlomi Fogel, a close associate of Netanyahu, was repeatedly named during the Haaretz investigation. Fogel denied any involvement when contacted by reporters.
GHF’s leadership includes Phil Reilly, a former CIA official. Reilly is also linked to Orbis, a company previously hired to provide security for the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza using foreign mercenaries. Orbis operates under multiple names, including Solutions-UG, and recruits former US soldiers for security and logistics roles in the Middle East.
The Israeli co-founders of GHF include reserve officers Major Liran Tankman and Captain Yotam Cohen. Neither has a background in aid delivery or defense logistics. Tankman previously launched a failed tech startup, while Cohen, the son of retired Major General Gershon Hacohen, runs a knowledge-management firm that supplies software to government offices.
Despite their inexperience, both became central to Gopman’s team, which orchestrated GHF’s rise—sidelining traditional agencies and avoiding oversight.
On Saturday, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter publicly confirmed Israel’s involvement in GHF’s creation during an interview with the conservative American media outlet PragerU.
GHF is tasked with implementing the US-Israeli plan to distribute aid in Gaza — a plan widely rejected by the UN and humanitarian organizations for militarizing aid and turning it into a tool for the Israeli army. The UN has also described the plan as unsafe for both aid workers and civilians.
