Axios reported that US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, briefed the UN Security Council on a new Israeli plan to resume aid distribution to Gaza. Following the briefing, which also covered other regional issues, Witkoff held a brief one-on-one meeting with Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon, according to Danon's office.

International organizations have criticized the aid initiative, approved by the Israeli occupation government last week and supported by the United States, describing it as insufficient and dangerous.

Data and testimonies from within the Gaza Strip indicate a worsening hunger crisis and rising malnutrition rates, while the occupation claims to be working on a new aid distribution system that it hopes will prevent aid from reaching Hamas.

Israeli officials have so far claimed that Gazans are not yet starving, but an Israeli official said last week that the Israeli military believes it only has a few weeks before a major humanitarian crisis erupts in the Strip due to shortages of food and medical supplies.

According to the Axios news website, the Trump administration is "pressuring countries to donate funds to the mechanism and for the United Nations to cooperate with it," while the US State Department declined to comment on the matter.

The occupation authorities halted the entry of any aid into Gaza on March 2, following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas and the release of hostages. Israel claims that Hamas diverted a significant portion of the aid that entered during the six-week truce, and that the 650 trucks entering daily were sufficient to feed the population for a prolonged period.

The Trump administration is pressuring international humanitarian organizations to cooperate with Israel's new plan to resume aid distribution in the Gaza Strip after the Israeli occupation army's more than two-month blockade, according to Israeli media sources.

Organizations familiar with the initiative have expressed deep skepticism, arguing that it fails to adequately address the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn enclave and requires them to be complicit in Israel's "weaponization" of aid.

Amid this refusal, the Trump administration has signaled to these organizations—including the World Food Program—that their US funding may be cut if they do not cooperate, according to an international aid organization employee, a senior Western diplomat, and an Israeli official who spoke to Israeli media.

As part of its efforts to engage the World Food Programme, the Western diplomat told The Times of Israel that US officials held a meeting earlier this week with the organization's executive director, Cindy McCain, along with representatives of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which was established in January to develop a new solution for aid distribution that prevents Hamas and other terrorist groups from diverting aid. Representatives from Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions, two US companies contracted to secure humanitarian hubs established in southern Gaza for aid distribution, also participated.

When asked to comment on the matter, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not deny that pressure was being exerted on international organizations.

"While we have nothing to announce and will not speak on behalf of the organization, we welcome moves to get urgent food aid into Gaza quickly, in a way that prevents it from falling into the hands of terrorists. We have long advocated for creative solutions and fresh thinking that keeps Israel safe and helps the people of Gaza," the spokesperson said.

The US State Department spokesperson referred to US President Donald Trump's statements earlier this week, in which he asserted: "We will help the people of Gaza because they are being treated very badly by Hamas."

The World Food Programme is still seeking funding from various governments for the initiative, and while there had been hopes that the UAE would be among the most prominent backers, two sources familiar with the matter said that Abu Dhabi has not yet made such a commitment due to concerns about the feasibility of the mission. However, the Global Relief Foundation (GHF) still plans to publicly unveil the initiative later this week, with State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce indicating on Tuesday that "there will be a major announcement regarding aid access to Gaza in the next few days, and there is very good news."

Trump himself indicated on Wednesday that he would make an announcement related to Gaza within 24 hours.

The Israeli occupation army has already begun building the first of several humanitarian centers in southern Gaza, where it plans to distribute aid to civilians in the coming weeks, with Israeli officials acknowledging that some Gazans are "on the brink of starvation."

According to the Israeli military, the Israeli initiative will create a new humanitarian zone between the Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza's southern border with Egypt and the newly established Morag Corridor approximately five kilometers to the north.

The mechanism involves using private American security contractors to secure the aid centers, which will be located within the humanitarian zone but away from the tent camps where civilians are expected to shelter. Officials familiar with the plan said that between 5,000 and 6,000 accredited representatives will be allowed to travel on foot to the aid centers once every two weeks to collect a 40-pound food box for their families.

An international relief organization employee said the plan does not take into account the current reality in the Strip, where desperate, hungry Gazans are likely to flock to aid centers as soon as they open.

The United Nations has criticized the mechanism's plan to facilitate the entry of only 60 trucks into Gaza daily through a single crossing, saying this number is insufficient to feed Gaza's already malnourished population. Israel insists that the 60 trucks will be sufficient to prevent famine in Gaza.