Why are some objections as U.S.-backed aid groups start operations in Gaza?
The U.S.-backed group that Israel approved to take over the distribution of aid from Gaza said it had already started operations despite opposition from the United Nations and most humanitarian groups and the unexpected resignation of its executive director.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is key to a new aid system that will seize distribution from UN-led aid groups that have been operating on a large scale in Gaza since the conflict in October 2023, relocating food, medicines, fuel, fuel, tents and other supplies.
New mechanisms limit food distribution to the guards of armed contractors, and people must go there. Currently, four hubs are being established close to Israeli military posts. Three in the southernmost Palestinians.
GHF said it moved its food truck to the hub on Monday and began distribution without providing details on how much aid is allocated. It said the supply process will be “increased every day”. It said it plans to reach more than one million Palestinians by this weekend. Gaza has a population of about 2.3 million.
Jake Wood, an American who is working hard in the United States, said on Sunday night that he resigned because it is obvious that the organization does not allow independent operation.
Israel demands alternative plans as it accuses Hamas of sneaking aid. The United Nations and aid groups deny there was a significant diversion. They rejected the new mechanism, saying that it allowed Israel to use food as a weapon, violated humanitarian principles and would not be effective.
Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine and all other supplies from entering Gaza, pushing its territory toward famine for nearly three months. Last week, it allowed the spread of supplies and said it could only distribute it before the GHF was running.
Hamas-run interior ministry warned Palestinians in Gaza on Monday not to deal with the GHF.
The GHF was launched publicly early this year and is run by a group of U.S. security contractors, former military officials and humanitarian aid officials. It has the support of Israel and the United States.
Until his resignation, Jake Wood was the face of the foundation. Wood is a U.S. veteran and co-founder of a disaster relief organization called the Rubicon Team.
It is not clear who will run GHF.
The group circulated earlier this month and obtained by the Associated Press, a proposal that included several names, including David Beasley, a former director of the United Nations World Food Program. Neither Beasley nor GHF confirmed his involvement.
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It is not clear who is funding GHF. It claims to have a promise from the EU government over $100 million, but has not named donors yet. The United States and Israel said they did not provide funding for it.
The plans that GHF centrally allocated through hubs are similar to those designed by Israel.
It said each of its four initial hubs will serve meals to about 300,000 people. It will eventually be able to meet the needs of two million people, it said. It said it will create more hubs in 30 days, including in the north, but does not specify its exact location.
The assistance will deliver supplies of armored vehicles from the Gaza border to the hub with the help of private subcontractors, where they will also provide security. It said the purpose is to prevent criminal gangs or militants from redirecting assistance.
Satellite photos obtained by the Associated Press show what appears to be the structure of the wheel hub. The photos show a picture in central Gaza, near the Netzarim corridor, a piece of land held by Israeli forces. The other three are located in the Rafa area south of the Morag Corridor in another military possession zone.
Currently, almost the entire population is currently in northern Gaza, or currently there is no hub location – or central Gaza. They will have to cross Israeli military routes to reach the hub near Rafa.
Before resigning, Wood talked about some adjustments, but it is not clear whether Israel agrees with them.
Wood said in a letter to Israeli officials obtained by the Associated Press that the existing non-leadership system will continue to provide food in parallel with the GHF until at least eight hubs are running. He also said that future non-leadership systems will continue to distribute all non-food humanitarian aid – everything from medical supplies to sanitary items and shelter materials. Wood admitted that GHF could not handle the supplies.
In the letter, Wood said that Wood and Israel had agreed to the terms and sent to Gaza, Kogat's Israeli military agencies. However, Cogat has not been confirmed.
Why are there no aid groups on board?
The UN and aid organizations say the plan will “weaponized aid” for Israel's military and political purposes.
They said Israel would have the right to determine who gets aid and force the population to move to where it is being distributed to empty most of the region. This could violate international laws against forced displacement.
“We cannot participate in a system of violations of humanitarian principles and risks, which involves serious violations of international law that we involve,” said Shaina Low, a communications consultant for the Norwegian Refugee Commission, a leading aid organization that operates in Gaza.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that under the aid mechanism, Gaza's population will eventually be transferred to a “sterile zone” far south of Gaza. He said it was to protect them, while Israeli forces fought Hamas elsewhere. He also said that once Palestinians enter the area, “they don’t have to go back.”
Israel also said it will implement a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate the region's population outside Gaza, even though it portrays immigration as “voluntary.” The Palestinians, as well as almost all the international community, rejected this idea.
GHF said in a statement that it is independent and non-political and will not be part of any large-scale displacement. It said its system was in perfect agreement with humanitarian principles, including impartiality and independence.
Israel has previously told aid organizations that it intends to review aid recipients and use facial recognition technology. GHF says food will be provided as needed without eligibility requirements. However, the aid group said the recipient would have to pass near or through Israeli military posts to reach the hub and expose it to scrutiny.
The United Nations and aid organizations also said that the GHF program could not meet the needs of Gaza's huge and desperate population.
Plans for distributing non-food assistance are uncertain. Additionally, GHF says that each meal will have 1,750 calories. This is below the standard of 2,100 calories per day in emergencies used by the United Nations World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Food Program.
Aid workers say the change is not necessary at all.
UNICEF spokesman James Elder said the United Nations and other aid organizations “absolutely show that they can meet the needs of the population.” “We just need to keep going back to an effective approach.”
– Tel Aviv, Israeli, Israeli news writer Tia Goldenberg and Beirut's Sarah El Deeb contributed to the report.
