Israel won't be involved in new Gaza aid plan, only in security, US envoy says

A U.S.-backed mechanism for getting aid into Gaza should take effect soon, Washington's envoy to Israel said on Friday ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East, without detailing how this would work with no ceasefire in place.

Gaza's residents face possible famine, the U.N. says, with Israel enforcing a months-long blockade on aid to the small Palestinian enclave and vowing to expand its military campaign against Hamas militants after breaking a truce in March.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said several partners had already committed to taking part in the aid arrangement, which would be handled by private companies, but declined to name them, saying details would be released in the coming days.

"There has been a good initial response," the former Republican governor told reporters at the embassy in Jerusalem.

"There are nonprofit organisations that will be a part of the leadership," he said, adding that other organisations and governments would also need to be involved, though not Israel.

Tikva Forum, a hawkish Israeli group representing some relatives of hostages held in Gaza, criticised the announcement, saying aid deliveries should be conditional on Hamas releasing the 59 captives in Gaza.

Hamas senior official Basem Naim said the plan was close to "the Israeli vision of militarising aid" and said it would fail, at the same time warning local parties against "becoming tools in the Zionist occupation's schemes".

Trump, who seeks a landmark deal that would see Israel and Saudi Arabia establish diplomatic relations, will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates next week.

Trump had teased a major announcement ahead of the trip. It was unclear if that was what Huckabee announced on Friday.

Anticipation has been building about a new aid plan for Gaza, laid waste by 19 months of an Israeli air and ground war against Hamas that has destroyed much of the infrastructure and displaced most of its 2.3 million population several times.

"It will not be perfect, especially in the early days," Huckabee said. "It is a logistical challenge to make this work."

European leaders and aid groups have criticised a plan by Israel, which has prevented aid from entering Gaza since ditching a two-month-old truce in March, for private companies to take over humanitarian distributions in the enclave.

Israel has accused agencies including the United Nations of allowing aid to fall into the hands of Hamas, which it has said is seizing supplies intended for civilians and given them to its own forces or selling them to raise funds. Hamas denies this.

CRITICISM OF AID PLANS

"The Israelis are going to be involved in providing necessary military security because it is a war zone, but they will not be involved in the distribution of the food or even bringing the food into Gaza," Huckabee told a press conference.

Asked whether the supply of aid hinged on a ceasefire being restored, Huckabee said: "The humanitarian aid will not depend on anything other than our ability to get the food into Gaza."

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Friday criticised emerging plans to take over distribution of aid in Gaza floated by both Israel and the United States, saying this would increase suffering for children and families.

A proposal is circulating among the aid community for a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation that would distribute food from four "Secure Distribution Sites", resembling plans announced by Israel earlier this week, but drew criticism that it would effectively worsen displacement among the Gaza population.

Huckabee said there would be an "initial number" of distribution centres that could feed "perhaps over a million people" before being scaled up to ultimately reach two million.

"Private security" would be responsible for the safety of workers getting into the distribution centres and in the distribution of the food itself, Huckabee said, declining to comment on rules of engagement for security personnel.

"Everything would be done in accordance with international law," he said.

Mediation efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have not been successful in implementing a second phase of the ceasefire. Israel demands the total disarmament of Hamas, which the Islamist group rejects.

Hamas has said it is willing to free all remaining hostages seized by its gunmen in attacks on communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and agree to a permanent ceasefire if Israel pulls out completely from Gaza.

Hamas' attacks on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run health authorities.

Reuters