New details are emerging regarding the US plan to distribute aid to Gaza, sparking controversy over its effectiveness and raising questions about its true objectives and meaning.
Details revealed by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Hagabi reopen the debate after he revealed information related to the so-called "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation."
The announced document stipulates the exclusion of Hamas from the aid plan and the participation of the Israeli army in securing the perimeter of four aid distribution centers, but not its presence inside them. Each center is designated to serve 300,000 residents of the Gaza Strip.
Reactions rejecting the American plan
Condemning the move, there were successive reactions from UN agencies operating in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian NGO Network. The network considered it a form of control and domination of the Strip and an exploitation of its humanitarian situation. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) called for the opening of the crossings, stressing the impossibility of implementing the aid distribution mechanism without it.
UNICEF, through its spokesperson, considered that using humanitarian aid as a bait to force people to flee, especially from the north to the south, would leave them facing the prospect of death or displacement.
For its part, Hamas rejected US Ambassador Mike Hagaby's accusations of controlling aid, stating, "Every detail of the plan he presented reflects a new form of justification for the involvement of two million Palestinians in plans to displace them from the Gaza Strip after months of a brutal war of division." It rejected the militarization of aid and demanded the lifting of the blockade.
Fear of displacement of the population of the north
In this context, Jonathan Crickx, Head of Communications and Spokesperson for UNICEF, believes that the plan does not meet essential elements such as neutrality and objectivity.
Speaking to Al Arabiya TV from Rafah, Kriks expressed his fear that Gazans would be forced to move from north to south, noting that the plan does not include establishing aid distribution centers in the northern Gaza Strip.
"Thousands of Gazans, including children, will be forced to relocate," he said. "How will thousands of orphans receive aid? How will a mother carry food parcels and walk for several kilometers with her children?" he asked.
Krix confirms that UN organizations are still working in Gaza, where a large number of children suffer from severe malnutrition and therefore need a varied diet to treat them.
He points out that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic, with food supplies unavailable due to the imposed blockade, and the few available supplies being sold at extremely high prices that families cannot afford.
The UNICEF spokesperson also noted that UN organizations know little about what the US plan calls the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation." He said, "We have read what was published in the news reports."
"Short-term plan"
For his part, US Deputy National Security Advisor Mark Pfeiffle believes that bringing aid into the Gaza Strip
"Israeli plan"
Meanwhile, writer and political researcher Wissam Afifa believes the US plan is shrouded in mystery, noting that it is essentially an Israeli plan proposed weeks ago and aimed at paving the way for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Afifa explains that the goal of the Israeli plan was to place thousands of Palestinians in specific camps and feed them in preparation for the displacement process.
Afifa pointed out that there is a security mechanism controlling aid, believing that the greatest danger lies in the legalization of starvation. He also noted that the clustering of aid centers in the southern Gaza Strip is an Israeli demand.
He also believes that the institutions overseeing the aid distribution plan are "hybrid institutions," as their licenses were created in the United States and then transferred to Switzerland in an attempt to legitimize them. He points out that those in charge of the plan are former officers, emphasizing that this reflects the military dimension of the aid plan. He notes that the plan's trajectory is a "security track," as food will only reach the Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Gaza poses a major challenge as the humanitarian crisis worsens and hunger spreads.
Speaking to Al Arabiya TV from Washington, he said, "What the United States is trying to do is find a short-term plan to provide food to the Palestinians without letting the aid fall into the hands of Hamas."
He added, "US President Donald Trump is seeking a solution to the hunger crisis while trying to negotiate with Hamas for a second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip."
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Washington's aid distribution plan in Gaza: Why is it facing rejection and skepticism?