US Pushes Forward with Private Aid Plan for Gaza Amid UN Opposition

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US Pushes Forward with Private Aid Plan for Gaza Amid UN Opposition

 

The United States has confirmed it is moving forward with a controversial plan to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza through private firms, despite vocal opposition from the United Nations and humanitarian agencies. Speaking in Jerusalem, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee detailed an operation in which private contractors, supported by security forces, will manage “distribution centres” aimed at reaching more than one million Palestinians initially. “The Israelis are going to be involved in providing necessary security because this is a war zone. But they will not be involved in the distribution of the food, or even the bringing of food into Gaza,” Huckabee said.

 

While Huckabee insisted the distribution process would remain independent of Israeli military control, he acknowledged that Israeli forces would guard the perimeters of these aid hubs. The move is part of an effort by the US and Israel to prevent aid from being intercepted by Hamas. “Previous actions have often been met with Hamas stealing the food that was intended for hungry people,” the ambassador added.

 

However, the UN has firmly stated it will not participate in the initiative. “We will not participate,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “Only in efforts that are in line with our principles.” UN officials argue the plan undermines neutrality and appears to politicize aid, warning it could set a troubling precedent. At a briefing in Geneva, UNICEF spokesman James Elder criticized the proposal, warning it may end up harming those it aims to help.

 

He emphasized that forcing civilians to travel to militarized aid zones could exclude the most vulnerable, including children and the elderly. “The plan that had been laid out would lead to more children suffering, not fewer,” he said.

 

Humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. OCHA reports that a third of the territory’s community kitchens have shut down in the past two weeks due to a lack of food and fuel. Among the closures were the final two field kitchens of the US-based World Central Kitchen, which had been providing 133,000 meals daily before it ran out of supplies. Basic food prices have soared, with a 25kg sack of flour now costing $415 in Gaza City, a thirtyfold increase since February.

 

The new system will be overseen by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a newly formed NGO that claims it will operate independently and according to humanitarian principles. A 14-page document from GHF outlines plans to set up four distribution hubs, initially targeting 1.2 million people, with the goal of eventually reaching all Gazans. “GHF was established to restore that vital lifeline through an independent, rigorously-audited model that gets assistance directly – and only – to those in need,” the document states. It adds that months of war have caused “the collapse of traditional relief channels in Gaza.”

 

The GHF’s board reportedly includes former leaders from major humanitarian organizations, including a former CEO of World Central Kitchen and David Beasley, the former American head of the UN’s World Food Programme, although his involvement has yet to be confirmed.

 

US officials, including Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, have briefed members of the UN Security Council on the plan, which is being positioned as a key part of President Donald Trump’s upcoming diplomatic push to the Gulf, where officials hope to secure funding from wealthy Arab states.

 

Meanwhile, Israeli media report that its military is already constructing aid distribution hubs in Rafah, located in a designated “sterile zone” to prevent Hamas access. The plan suggests that only one representative per family, screened for security, would be allowed to collect supplies on foot, with Israeli troops stationed outside to avoid direct contact with aid workers.

 

The UN, however, warns the plan risks entrenching displacement. “Locating all the distribution points in the south appears designed to use aid as ‘a bait’ to forcibly displace Gazans once again,” Elder said. With 90% of the population already displaced, the move could deepen the crisis. Aid officials fear that accommodating military demands in this case could weaken perceptions of the UN’s neutrality, potentially compromising future operations in other conflict zones.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC  2025-05-10

 

 

[JAG]

Israel will protect the perimeter, Gazans will come inside, received the supplies, leave and once clear of the perimeter HAMAS will take it off them.