US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. AFP
Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Huckabee outlined the plan a day after the US State Department announced the creation of a new foundation to oversee aid delivery to the besieged enclave, where a two-month Israeli blockade has halted the entry of food, clean water, fuel and medicine, pushing Gaza to the brink of famine.
“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 in the bringing of the food into Gaza,” Huckabee said.
The initiative, known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), aims to replace the current aid system, largely run by the UN and international agencies, which have faced repeated Israeli interference and attacks. The proposal has drawn international criticism.
Under the plan, aid would be distributed through centralized hubs across the strip, initially reaching 1.2 million people, with the aim of eventually covering the entire population. The sites would be protected by private security contractors using armored vehicles, raising alarm over the militarization of aid and fears of further displacement of Palestinians.
Humanitarian organizations, including the UN, have warned the proposal risks sidelining Palestinian institutions and deepening the occupation. “We’ll only participate in any aid operation that respects our humanitarian principles of independence, humanity, and impartiality,” said UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez.
James Elder, spokesperson for the UN children’s agency UNICEF, said the plan would only increase the suffering of 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,” he said.
Elder also warned that aid must never be used as a bargaining tool. Using it to force displacement, he said, would create an “impossible choice between displacement and death”.
Despite the backlash, Huckabee said he hoped the initiative could be launched “very soon” and called on the UN, NGOs and governments to join the effort. He offered no timeline for implementation and gave few details about the foundation behind the plan.
Little is publicly known about the GHF, although a listing in Switzerland indicates it was established in February. Huckabee, a former Republican governor and staunch supporter of Israel, said “several partners” had already joined the effort, but declined to name them.
The foundation’s leadership reportedly includes former US military personnel, corporate executives and individuals linked to private security firms, prompting concerns that the plan could increase US control over aid and further marginalize Palestinian governance.
Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza on 2 March and resumed its genocidal assault on 18 March, ending a two-month truce. More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, which has devastated much of the territory. The ceasefire had allowed a surge of aid and led to the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Under the US proposal, Israeli forces would remain “at a distance from the distribution point to protect them from the ongoing calculus of the war”, Huckabee said. “Security at the distribution points would be provided by contractors.”
Israel continues to deny that a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Gaza, despite mounting fears of famine and accusations from the UN, aid agencies and human rights groups that it has weaponised humanitarian aid.
Earlier this week, the Israeli military outlined plans for an expanded ground offensive after more than 19 months of genocidal war, prompting alarm from European governments, China, UN bodies and international NGOs.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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