International aid organizations warned on Friday that Israeli efforts to take control of humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza—backed by a new US-proposed system—risk worsening the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn enclave.
The agencies urged Israel to end its three-month blockade of vital supplies, including food and medicine.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said a new American-designed aid framework would launch soon and encouraged UN and other relief agencies to join. However, the UN has rejected the plan, saying it “weaponizes aid,” could result in mass displacement, and lacks the capacity to deliver adequate assistance while violating neutrality principles.
As aid dwindles, scenes of desperation grow more frequent. In Khan Younis, thousands crowded around a charity kitchen, waving empty pots in hopes of receiving pasta—one of the few food sources left for Gaza’s 2.3 million people. Dozens of such kitchens have already shut due to supply shortages.
Raed al-Zaharna, who left without food for his children, said, “I’m thinking now, ‘What will I feed them?’ I can’t find anything.”
Since March 2, Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine, and other supplies from entering Gaza. Officials say the move is meant to pressure Hamas to release hostages and disarm. The blockade resumed alongside renewed bombardments and troop advances following a collapsed ceasefire. Human rights groups have described the blockade as a form of “starvation tactic” and warned it could amount to a war crime.
Israel has made clear it will not permit the current UN-led aid system to resume, accusing Hamas of diverting supplies—though no evidence has been presented. The UN counters that it strictly monitors aid and denies significant diversion.
“Humanitarian aid should never be used as a bargaining chip,” said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder. “There is a simple alternative. Lift the blockade, let humanitarian aid in, save lives.”
US-Backed plan sparks pushback
Huckabee said details of the new system would be unveiled in the coming days, with deliveries expected to begin “very soon.” He emphasized the plan’s independence from Israel, noting that private contractors would manage distribution and perimetre security would be handled by Israeli forces from a distance.
“I will be the first to admit it will not be perfect, especially in the early days,” Huckabee said.
The system is to be operated by the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group comprising former U.S. officials, ex-military personnel, private security contractors, and humanitarian specialists. Documents obtained by the Associated Press indicate the plan involves four secure distribution hubs, each serving 300,000 people—covering only about half of Gaza’s population initially.
Joseph Belliveau, executive director of Medglobal, said that during a Geneva briefing led by US envoy team member Aryeh Lightstone, aid groups objected to replacing the UN-led system with the new model.
Belliveau said humanitarian groups have long followed rigorous protocols to prevent aid diversion. “What we need is to be just allowed (to work). We need that blockade lifted,” he said.
UN rejects Israeli control over aid
While Israel has yet to publicly disclose details of its intended aid mechanism, the UN has said that what has been communicated privately undermines core humanitarian principles.
“As the Secretary-General has made clear, the UN will not engage in any arrangement that fails to uphold the humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” the UN emergency aid office said Friday.
Elder said the GHF plan appears “designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic.”
Aid groups fear the hub system will force Palestinians to relocate or travel long distances, potentially causing further displacement. None of the hubs appear set to be located in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands still reside. Israel has repeatedly urged civilians to leave the north due to ongoing combat with Hamas.
Elder warned that this could solidify forced displacement “for political and military purposes.” Vulnerable populations—children, the elderly, and the ill—might be unable to access the hubs.
Last month, 20 aid organizations warned the proposed plan would push people into “de facto internment conditions” clustered around the distribution hubs.
Some aid officials also expressed concern over Israel's apparent intent to vet aid recipients, which could politicize distribution. GHF has said its plan is need-based.
“More children are likely to suffer and risk death and injury as a consequence of this plan,” Elder said.
Concerns over scale and effectiveness
Humanitarian officials argue that the new system won't come close to meeting Gaza’s immense needs. Hundreds of distribution sites, medical centres, shelters, and support services are currently coordinated by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Israel barred UNRWA’s operations last year, claiming some staff were linked to Hamas. The agency maintains that it takes swift action against any staff with suspected ties and notes that Israel has not provided evidence of its allegations.
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma emphasized, “It is very, very difficult to imagine any humanitarian operation without UNRWA.”
Ruth James, Oxfam’s regional humanitarian coordinator, said extensive networks are essential for delivering aid effectively. “That takes time and expertise,” she said. “Any new system that comes in this quickly and without humanitarian expertise and trust from communities will not be able to do that.”
Huckabee urged UN agencies to support the new mechanism, but concerns remain unaddressed.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, said meetings with Israeli officials have failed to resolve those concerns. He dismissed the claim that aid theft is widespread.
“The problem is the blockage of hundreds of aid trucks that should go into the Gaza Strip every single day. That is the root cause of the humanitarian crisis,” Laerke said.
