A U.S.-supported plan to facilitate aid delivery into Gaza is expected to launch soon, according to Washington’s ambassador to Israel, ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming Middle East visit. However, the ambassador offered limited specifics, reports RTE.
Residents of Gaza are enduring a deepening humanitarian emergency, as Israel maintains a prolonged blockade on aid deliveries to the densely populated Palestinian territory, now in the third year of its conflict with Hamas.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee noted that a number of partners have already agreed to join the aid effort, but he did not identify them, promising further information in the near future, reports RTE.
“There has been a good initial response,” the former Republican governor told reporters gathered at the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, reports RTE.
“There are nonprofit organisations that will be a part of the leadership,” he added, while stating that other entities, including additional governments, would need to be engaged—excluding Israel, reports RTE.
The Tikva Forum, a right-wing Israeli organization that includes families of hostages held in Gaza, opposed the plan, arguing that aid should only be sent if Hamas releases the 59 hostages.
President Trump, who is seeking to mediate a historic normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates next week, reports RTE.
He had hinted at a major announcement in advance of his tour, but it was not clear if Huckabee’s statement was the anticipated news.
Expectations have been rising over a new aid initiative for Gaza, which has suffered immense destruction after 19 months of Israeli military operations that have decimated its infrastructure and displaced most of the 2.3 million residents multiple times.
“It will not be perfect, especially in the early days,” Mr Huckabee said. “It is a logistical challenge to make this work,” reports RTE.
Plans by Israel to assign humanitarian aid distribution to private firms have drawn criticism from European leaders and relief agencies, particularly since Israel halted aid deliveries following a breakdown in a ceasefire with Hamas in March.
Israeli officials have accused international organizations, including the U.N., of enabling aid to reach Hamas fighters instead of civilians, with claims that the group either redirects supplies to its forces or sells them to raise money.
“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,” Mr Huckabee stated at a press conference, reports RTE.
When asked if the delivery of humanitarian aid depended on a new ceasefire, Mr Huckabee replied: “The humanitarian aid will not depend on anything other than our ability to get the food into Gaza.”
UNICEF voiced concern over developing proposals from both the U.S. and Israel to take control of Gaza’s aid distribution, arguing this could intensify the hardship experienced by families and children, reports RTE.
One plan circulating among humanitarian groups proposes the creation of a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which would deliver supplies via four “Secure Distribution Sites.” While this mirrors a plan Israel announced earlier in the week, critics argue it could exacerbate displacement in the region.
Mr Huckabee explained that an “initial number” of distribution hubs would be able to feed “perhaps over a million people” and could be scaled up to reach as many as two million individuals.
“Private security” personnel would be tasked with protecting workers accessing the distribution zones and ensuring safe delivery of food, he said, without elaborating on the operational rules for these security teams, reports RTE.
“Everything would be done in accordance with international law,” he added, reports RTE.
Efforts led by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a second phase of the ceasefire have not achieved progress. Israel is demanding Hamas completely disarm—a condition the group has firmly rejected.
Hamas has stated it is willing to release all remaining hostages captured during the October 7, 2023 attacks in southern Israel and accept a permanent ceasefire, but only if Israel fully withdraws from Gaza, reports RTE.
Israel has declared its intention to intensify military operations in Gaza, prompting stark warnings from the United Nations of looming famine conditions among the population.
The October 7 attacks by Hamas resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages taken into Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel’s military actions have killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, as reported by health officials under Hamas control, reports RTE.
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