UN warns Israeli aid plan for Gaza risks lives, violates humanitarian norms

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has issued a firm rejection of an Israeli proposal to significantly alter the delivery mechanism of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, declaring that the plan “contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles.”

The proposed framework would involve a shift away from the Israeli military’s current model of wholesale aid distribution, Caliber.Az reports per Israeli media.

Instead, international humanitarian organizations and private security contractors would be tasked with delivering aid boxes directly to individual Gazan households. While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would not engage in the direct delivery of aid, they would provide an outer security perimeter for the civilian contractors and aid workers.

Israeli and Arab officials familiar with the matter claim the strategy is intended to minimize Hamas' ability to intercept and divert humanitarian supplies for its own use. The proposal follows Israel’s suspension of aid entry into Gaza on March 2, following the conclusion of the first phase of a temporary ceasefire and hostage release agreement. Israeli authorities argue that while Hamas siphoned off substantial amounts of aid during the six-week truce, the daily flow of 650 trucks had been sufficient to sustain Gaza’s civilian population.

However, OCHA has categorically opposed the new approach. In a formal statement, the agency said, “Israeli officials have sought to shut down the existing aid distribution system run by the United Nations and its humanitarian partners and have us agree to deliver supplies through Israeli hubs under conditions set by the Israeli military, once the government agrees to re-open crossings.”

The statement further warned of dire consequences: “The design of the plan presented to us will mean large parts of Gaza, including the less mobile and most vulnerable people, will continue to go without supplies. It contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic – as part of a military strategy. It is dangerous, driving civilians into militarized zones to collect rations, threatening lives, including those of humanitarian workers, while further entrenching forced displacement.”

OCHA concluded by reiterating the position of the broader UN system: “The UN Secretary-General and the Emergency Relief Coordinator have made clear that we will not participate in any scheme that does not adhere to the global humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the heads of all UN entities and non-governmental organizations under the Humanitarian Country Team have unanimously affirmed this position.”

By Vafa Guliyeva