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IsraAid global CEO Yotam Polizer believes that humanitarian leadership and relationship-building are inseparable. That belief guides his leadership of IsraAID, one of Israel’s largest non-governmental humanitarian organizations, as it navigates one of the most complex crises of our time. Traditionally known for its global emergency and development work in more than 60 countries, IsraAID has stepped into a uniquely challenging role tied to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Through leveraging long-standing credibility in Israeli civil society and deep institutional knowledge, IsraAID has helped bridge operational barriers that often impede aid delivery—connecting international humanitarian efforts with the practical realities of operating in and around Gaza. It is this expertise that led them to be a core grantee of the Fund for Humanitarian Relief in Gaza, a donor-driven collaborative fund held at the Jewish Community Foundation.
A core part of IsraAID’s work has been building and strengthening partnerships with NGOs active on the ground in Gaza, enabling the flow of crucial aid into the Strip despite logistical and bureaucratic hurdles exacerbated by the war. One of the most impactful partnerships has been with another grantee of the fund, World Central Kitchen (WCK). WCK serves hundreds of thousands of meals daily to families in need, sustaining life for Gazans amid severe food insecurity. After partnering in Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, IsraAid and WCK have continued their collaboration in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This cooperation has not only delivered nourishment, but sent a message of shared humanity in a time of profound suffering.
In addition to food security, IsraAID has worked to connect health-focused partners like Project Rozana with the channels they need to reach Gazan patients and medical professionals. Project Rozana’s mission to strengthen Palestinian healthcare through patient transportation, specialist training, and cross-border knowledge exchange aligns powerfully with IsraAID’s community-first philosophy of collaboration. By leveraging influence within Israeli institutional frameworks, IsraAID has helped reduce procedural barriers that can slow or halt the delivery of medical support into Gaza, ensuring that initiatives like Project Rozana’s stay functional even under difficult conditions.
IsraAID’s partnerships also extend to holistic care ecosystems like Gaza Children’s Village, which brings together food, education, psychosocial support, and healthcare for orphaned and vulnerable children in Gaza. Led by Dr. David Hasan, a Palestinian surgeon, GCV works alongside global partners such as World Central Kitchen, All Hands & Hearts and others to provide multi-sector, holistic support that goes beyond immediate survival toward long-term well-being for children who have endured trauma and displacement. Their vision for the care and education of children orphaned during the war provides a path to empowering a peaceful future for Palestinian children. “We need to protect their future and provide an option that is not Hamas,” says Hasan. IsraAID’s role in these collaborative networks has been to facilitate connection, helping ensure that resources, expertise, and operational support can flow where they are most needed. “We need to bring people back into relationships – back together,” says Polizer. IsraAID’s role in facilitating relationships, permits, and coordination with Israeli authorities has also helped ensure that innovative projects like Gaza Children’s Village can get off the ground and operate with trusted and vetted partners.
Looking ahead, IsraAID has articulated a vision that moves beyond crisis response to supporting durable, shared futures for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Through continued partnerships with organizations on the ground in Gaza, IsraAID aims to strengthen professional and social ties, embed local capacity for humanitarian response, and promote joint initiatives that build trust and resilience. While the path to peace remains long and complex, these practical collaborations, driven by mutual respect and a shared commitment to human dignity, offer a foundation upon which broader understanding and cooperation can grow. At its heart, this work reflects the belief that building peace begins with building relationships—one shared meal, one medical referral, and one child’s opportunity to receive care at a time.
Interested in opening your own donor-driven collaborative fund? Contact the Jewish Community Foundation.
Photos courtesy of GCV.