US-funded organization to initiate humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza, disregarding UN cautions
A Controversial US-Backed Humanitarian Aid Plan for Gaza
A humanitarian organization backed by the US will kick off operations in the Gaza Strip by the end of May, but users have slammed the aid distribution strategy. This plan, however, begs Israel to allow UN and other organizations to resume delivering assistance immediately until the organization is set up.
No humanitarian aid has reached the Gaza Strip since March 2, and there's a grim outlook: over half a million people are teetering on the brink of starvation – nearly a quarter of the enclave's population. The violence between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which started in October 2023, shows no signs of abating.
Israel alleges that Hamas is pilfering aid, a claim the group vehemently denies, and is refusing to let humanitarian supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining captives. Despite backing this US humanitarian plan, Israel insists on indirectly controlling the aid distribution process.
The new aid distribution plan involves private companies transporting aid to selected secure distribution sites in Gaza, as suggested by Israel. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) will orchestrate operations, with US security firm UG Solutions and US-based Safe Reach Solutions handling logistics and planning, according to a confidential source. At these sites, humanitarian assistance will be distributed to aid organizations, who in turn will pass it on to civilians.
Although the UN has appealed for cooperation with the GHF, concerns have been expressed that this plan could breach long-established humanitarian standards, such as humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality. The UN's deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, voiced the organization's apprehensions earlier this week, citing heavy criticism of the proposed operation by the UN's aid chief Tom Fletcher.
In an effort to address these concerns, the foundation's executive director, Jake Wood, recently authored a letter. Among other things, the letter confirmed that the foundation would not disclose personally identifiable information of aid recipients to Israel. Meanwhile, GHF reported that Israel has agreed to increase the number of distribution sites "to cater to the entire Gaza population," and focus on solutions to disburse aid to civilians who can't reach designated sites.
The Israel mission to the UN declined to comment. In his letter, Wood urged Israel's military to quickly identify and resolve conflict-free locations for GHF-run distribution sites in northern Gaza, and facilitate the timely flow of aid via existing channels until the foundation's infrastructure is fully operational.
Outside of official channels, international criticism has been fierce. The Red Cross expressed concerns that the plan exploits humanitarian assistance, intensifying rather than alleviating the Gaza strip's humanitarian crisis. Given the critical situation, the Red Cross believes humanitarian aid should be delivered swiftly and without interference.
Sources:- (FRANCE 24 with Reuters)- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Report, March 2025- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Report, April 2025
Additional Insights:
- Humanitarian Principle Violation: Critics argue that the plan could become a tool for ethnic cleansing, as aid is tied to compliance with Israeli military and occupation objectives, rather than simply meeting humanitarian needs.
- Instrumentalization and Politicization of Aid: By intertwining the humanitarian response with military and political strategy, the plan could potentially obstruct aid and worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The new aid distribution plan for Gaza, involving private companies and US security firms, has been met with concerns that it may breach established humanitarian standards, such as impartiality, independence, and neutrality. The Red Cross, too, has expressed worry, believing the plan could be exploiting humanitarian assistance, intensifying the humanitarian crisis in Gaza rather than alleviating it. Furthermore, discussions surrounding the politicization and instrumentalization of aid continue to be a point of contention in the ongoing war-and-conflicts and general news, contributing to the broader conflict between Israel and Palestinian groups like Hamas.
