"I made it clear that we participate in aid operations if they are in accordance with our basic principles," UN spokesman Farhan Haq said.
"As we've stated repeatedly, this particular distribution plan does not accord with our basic principles, including those of impartiality, neutrality, independence, and we will not be participating in this," he added, signalling strong concerns about the political nature of the US-led initiative.
The foundation, dubbed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), was revealed by the US State Department last week and is being framed as an alternative to the UN’s aid efforts.
While details remain scarce, the foundation proposes delivering aid through centralized hubs across Gaza, initially reaching 1.2 million people, with plans to eventually cover the entire population.
Following talks with Israeli officials on Wednesday, the foundation announced that operations were set to begin by the end of May.
Israel has sealed Gaza off from all humanitarian aid, including food, for over 10 weeks, plunging the Palestinian territory into its worst humanitarian crisis since its war on Gaza began in October 2023.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said last week that Israel will not be involved in the distribution but will provide "necessary military security," dismissing fears that Israel may use aid operations to entrench its control over Gaza.
The foundation aims to bypass the UN, traditionally the main conduit for humanitarian aid to Gaza. Haq’s statement follows mounting concern from UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations, who have warned that Israel’s blockade is pushing Gaza to the brink of a humanitarian disaster.
Israel’s restrictions have caused extreme shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, and humanitarian groups are increasingly sounding the alarm about the likelihood of famine in the coming months.
Since taking office in January, US President Donald Trump has slashed most of the country's international aid, including support for Palestinian relief efforts.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued to reject any notion of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, despite overwhelming evidence of the contrary and repeated international calls for the resumption of aid.
Israel’s ongoing war and airtight blockade have already displaced more than 90 percent of Gaza’s population, with many forced to flee their homes multiple times as Israeli warplanes continue to carpet bomb the already devastated territory.
Still, Israel insists that no humanitarian crisis is unfolding, even as critical supplies continue to dwindle.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s proposal to use private security contractors and armored vehicles to protect aid distribution hubs has raised serious concerns.
Humanitarian groups fear that militarizing the aid process could further entrench Israel's occupation and deepen the suffering of Palestinians.
"We’ll only participate in any aid operation that respects our humanitarian principles of independence, humanity, and impartiality," said UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez in statements made earlier.
He added that the plan risks sidelining Palestinian institutions, which could make matters worse for the already vulnerable population.
James Elder, spokesperson for the UN children’s agency UNICEF, echoed those concerns, arguing that the militarization of aid would increase suffering, particularly for Gaza’s children.
"It’s dangerous to ask civilians to go into militarized zones to collect rations; it further entrenches forced displacement for political and military purposes," Elder said.
He also emphasized that aid must never be used as leverage in political negotiations, warning that any attempt to force displacement would create an "impossible choice between displacement and death."
Moreover, the foundation’s proposed use of "mercenaries" in aid distribution has prompted alarm from human rights groups, including Amnesty International’s Swiss chapter.
The Swiss newspaper Le Temps reported that the GHF is looking to hire such personnel, a development that has further fueled skepticism about the foundation’s intentions.
The UN, however, maintains that it has a fully prepared aid plan ready to be implemented as soon as Israel lifts its blockade.
"We have trucks ready to go. We have more than 171,000 metric tonnes of food, on top of other life-saving supplies, and they're ready to go the minute that Israel opens the gates," Haq said.
Despite this, Israel continues to obstruct aid, with its ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, stating that Israel would not fund the UN’s aid operation but would "facilitate" it.
"We will not fund those efforts. We will facilitate them," Danon said. "Some of them will have to cross through territory that we operate, but we will definitely not fund them."
As Israel's war and siege of Gaza continue, the UN's warning is stark: if the Israeli blockade is not lifted, Gaza’s already fragile population will face catastrophic consequences.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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