DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) – A new aid system in Gaza commenced its initial distribution hubs on Monday, as reported by a U.S.-backed organization tasked with delivering food to Palestinians who are increasingly grappling with hunger due to Israel's lingering blockade against Hamas that has persisted for nearly three months.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, against the backdrop of objections from the United Nations, has taken charge of aid distribution amidst a dire humanitarian crisis. This announcement came on a particularly tragic day, as Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed at least 52 individuals in Gaza.
While the foundation confirmed the arrival of truckloads of food, it did not disclose the number of trucks or the locations of the distribution hubs. Moreover, the criteria for selecting aid recipients remained unclear. The organization stated that more truckloads of aid are expected to be delivered in the coming days, promising an increase in the flow of assistance.
However, the new aid distribution framework has faced considerable pushback from the U.N. and various humanitarian groups, which argue that Israel's approach amounts to leveraging food as a weapon against the Palestinian population. There are concerns that the newly devised system will be insufficient in addressing the overwhelming humanitarian needs in Gaza.
Israel has advocated for this alternative delivery plan, citing concerns that Hamas could seize relief supplies. Contradicting this viewpoint, the U.N. has denied allegations that Hamas has diverted substantial amounts of aid.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began its operations following the resignation of its executive director, Jake Wood, who expressed concerns about the loss of operational independence. Furthermore, it remains unclear who is funding the organization, which has appointed John Acree as interim leader. This group consists of former officials from humanitarian, government, and military sectors, and it claims that private security firms will secure its distribution points. The foundation aims to reach approximately one million Palestinians—almost half of Gaza's population—by the week's end.
In response to international pressure, Israel commenced allowing limited humanitarian supplies into Gaza last week, following a comprehensive blockade that had lasted since early March. Humanitarian organizations have raised alarms over the risk of famine, asserting that the volume of aid entering Gaza is far from adequate to meet escalating needs.
In a significant move, Hamas warned Palestinians against cooperating with the new aid structure, alleging that it is a strategic component of Israel's plans to relocate much of Gaza's population to other countries. In contrast, Israel maintains that it intends to facilitate the voluntary migration of Gaza's 2 million residents, a proposition rejected by both Palestinians and many in the international community.
As Israel continues its military campaign, vast areas of Gaza have faced devastation, displacing nearly 90% of its population, with many individuals forced to flee multiple times. A recent airstrike resulted in the deaths of at least 36 people in a school acting as a shelter, where families were sleeping when the attack occurred. Local health officials reported that a father and his five children were among those killed. Israel contended that the strike targeted militants operating from that location.
The Israeli military has intensified its operations since March, pledging to either dismantle Hamas or secure the return of the remaining hostages from the terrorist organization's attack on October 7, 2023. In that incident, Hamas killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 individuals. Conversely, the ongoing Israeli offensive has resulted in around 54,000 Palestinian casualties, the Gaza Health Ministry reports, noting that more than half of the deceased are women and children, without distinguishing between the civilian population and combatants.
In a related incident, an Israeli airstrike on a home in Jabalya resulted in the deaths of 16 members of a single family, including five women and two children, as reported by Shifa Hospital, which received the victims' bodies. Meanwhile, Palestinian militants reportedly launched three projectiles from Gaza, with two falling short and one intercepted by Israeli forces.
In Jerusalem, ultranationalist Israelis convened for an annual march commemorating the 1967 conquest of the city’s eastern sector, with some demonstrators chanting inflammatory slogans against Arabs. The police maintained a vigilant presence as tensions persisted amid ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Earlier in the day, a small faction of protesters, which included an Israeli parliamentary member, stormed a compound belonging to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in east Jerusalem. This compound has remained mostly deserted since January, following security-related staff withdrawal, despite the U.N. asserting the facility is protected under international law.
