Israel may replace nails to enable Gaza aid groups to be responsible for non-food aid – state
As Israel pressures to provide more aid to Gaza, it appears that Israel is changing its strategy and may leave aid groups operating in abused enclaves still responsible for non-food aid while distributing food to newly formed U.S.-backed groups, according to a letter received by the Associated Press.
The development suggests that Israel may be re-controlling plans for all assistance to Gaza from its plans and preventing the long-established aid agencies on the territory in the same way as they did in the past.
Israel accused Hamas of being sneaky, but the United Nations and aid groups deny that there was a big diversion. The United Nations rejected Israel's plan, saying 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 for nearly three months, where the humanitarian crisis for 2.3 million Palestinians worsened. Experts warn that high risks of famine and international criticism and anger against the Israeli offensive have escalated.
Even the United States' staunch allies expressed concern about the hunger crisis.
What does this letter say?
The letter begins on May 22, from Jake Wood, the head of the Israeli-approved Gaza Humanitarian Foundation or GHF, and addressed the Israeli military agency Cogat, responsible for transferring aid to the territory.
It said Israel and the GHF have agreed to allow non-food humanitarian assistance, from medical supplies to sanitary goods and shelter materials, to be processed and distributed under existing systems led by the United Nations. So far, the United Nations agencies have provided most of the assistance to Gaza.
The letter said the foundation will remain in control of food distribution, but overlap with aid groups for some time.
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It said: “GHF acknowledges that we do not have the technical capability or field infrastructure to independently manage such distribution and that we fully support the leadership of these established players in this field.”
The foundation confirmed the authenticity of the letter, but did not comment further.
Kogat declined to comment on the letter and forwarded the AP to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which did not respond to a request for comment.
UN officials have not responded to requests for comment.
The GHF has not yet worked in Gaza, run by security contractors, former military officials and humanitarian aid officials, and is supported by Israel.
The group said it plans to deal with food aid, initially guarding the distribution by a few hubs in southern and central Gaza with armed private contractors. Other locations will be open within one month, including in northern Gaza.
The letter said aid agencies will continue to provide food aid in parallel with the GHF until at least eight sites are up and running.
Aid groups have been postponing plans for GHF and Israel to take over food aid, saying it could forcefully replace large numbers of Palestinians by pushing them to distribution hubs, and the foundation is incapable of meeting Palestinian needs in Gaza.
It is unclear who is funding the GHF, which claims to have committed more than $100 million to foreign government donors, but has not named the donors yet.
What do others say?
The letter said GHF's timber is on a phone call with the CEOs of six aid teams to discuss new plans, including Save Children, International Medical Corps, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, Care and Project Project Hope.
Hope project leader Rabih Torbay confirmed the phone and said his organization was encouraged to hear that delivery of drugs and other non-food items under the current system will continue.
Nevertheless, Torbay called for food aid to be allowed into Gaza without “hindering or politicizing”.
Mairav Zonszein, senior analyst at the Israel International Crisis Organization, said the letter was a clear sign that both Israel and the GHF recognize the humanitarian disaster facing the humanitarian disaster population in Gaza and the need for immediate assistance.
“Obviously, GHF and Israel are scrambling to get something effective – or at least the emergence of effective aid – and this mechanism is not ready for Gaza's population needs.”
Ahmed Bayram, spokesman for the Norwegian Refugee Council Middle East, said Israel is part of the conflict and the distribution of aid should not be controlled.
“Israel’s interference in some or all of these processes will undermine the independence and neutrality of humanitarian aid,” Bayram said.
GHF was under more scrutiny this week, and Trial International, a Geneva-based advocacy group dedicated to international justice, said on Friday that it was urging Swiss authorities to take legal action to urge Swiss authorities to monitor the group, which has been registered in Switzerland.
A spokesman for the foundation insists that it abides by humanitarian principles and does not have Israeli control. A spokesman spoke anonymously based on the foundation's policy and told the Associated Press earlier this week that it was not a military operation and that its armed security personnel were necessary to work in Gaza.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 people. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel's retaliatory offensive killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, which did not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its number.
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