US-supported organization initiates humanitarian assistance in Gaza
A United States and Israel-supported aid initiative, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, commenced operation on Monday, spearheading a new distribution system in the Gaza Strip. The initiative aims to deliver food aid to the growing number of Palestinians affected by the nearly three-month Israeli blockade against Hamas-controlled Gaza.
The fresh system has faced opposition from the United Nations, which has expressed concern over the potential weaponization of food supplies. Despite this, the foundation reported its initial distribution hubs opened on Monday, with truckloads of food supplies already dispatched to the hubs. The specific locations of the hubs and the selection criteria for aid recipients, however, remain unclear.
The foundation projected that daily aid deliveries would increase, mentioning plans for additional trucks on Tuesday. Although the exact funding sources for the organization have yet to be disclosed, it has confirmed the appointment of John Acree as an interim CEO to replace the organization's former executive director, Jake Wood, who resigned a day prior.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is composed of former humanitarian, government, and military officials, who will maintain the security of distribution points and expect to provide aid to approximately half of Gaza's population by the end of the week. Amid international pressure, Israel started allowing a modest flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza last week, following the blockade on all food, medicine, fuel, and other items since March.
Israel has advocated for an alternative aid delivery plan, suggesting that Hamas has been responsible for diverting significant aid quantities. However, the United Nations has refuted these allegations. Officially, the foundation has pledged to keep distribution channels neutral and free from politics, but criticism has surfaced regarding possible politicization and militarization of aid delivery.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 52 people in Gaza on Monday, with 36 confirmed fatalities in a school-turned-shelter that was hit while residents slept. The military claimed that the school housed militants, while the attack sparked an immediate outcry from human rights organizations. The airstrike incidentally set belongings on fire and wounded dozens of people.
Separately, Israeli ultranationalists commenced their annual procession in Jerusalem, celebrating Israel's 1967 conquest of the city's eastern sector. The event, which serves as a potential flashpoint for sectarian tensions, attracted numerous onlookers despite ongoing wars and unrest in other parts of Gaza.
This AP article was compiled from reports by Magdy in Cairo and contributions from Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem.
Follow further updates on the Middle East crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
[Associated Press][1]
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- The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, consisting of former government, humanitarian, and military officials, plans to deliver aid to about half of Gaza's population by the end of the week, with truckloads of food supplies being dispatched daily.
- The foundation's distribution system, located in specific hubs, has faced criticism for potential politicization and militarization of aid delivery, despite assurances that channels will remain neutral and free from politics.
- Israel started allowing a modest flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza last week, following the blockade on all food, medicine, fuel, and other items since March, in response to international pressure.
- On Monday, tragic events unfolded in Gaza, with at least 52 people, including 36 in a school-turned-shelter, losing their lives due to Israeli airstrikes. This escalation of violence sparked immediate outcry from human rights organizations.
