Israeli Plan to ‘Control’ Gaza Aid Raises Humanitarian Concerns

---

Israel has devised a plan to assume full control over all humanitarian aid entering and distributed within the Gaza Strip, a move that has sparked concerns among relief organizations.

According to the American newspaper The Washington Post, Israel will take direct control of all humanitarian aid entering Gaza and its distribution.

• Israel Faces Criticism amid Warnings of Famine and Chaos in Gaza

• “No Extension for the First, No Negotiations for the Second”… Gaza Truce “Stuck” Between Two Phases

Plan Details

Under the plan, only one entry point from Israel to the besieged Palestinian enclave will remain open—the Karem Abu Salem crossing in the southeast of the Gaza Strip.

Israel will also establish a system to track all aid distribution and may require all aid workers to undergo inspections.

The newspaper reported that the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s unit responsible for coordinating civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories discussed these new rules with humanitarian agencies during meetings on Wednesday and Thursday of last week.

• Gaza Truce: ‘Obstacles’ Threaten the Second Phase

• From Gaza to the West Bank… Israel Draws Up “The Day after” Plans

On Friday of the same week, several major international humanitarian organizations were informed that the funding they expected to receive from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Gaza would be cut off due to a cease-work order from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began on January 19, private U.S. security companies, along with an Egyptian firm, have been managing a checkpoint for cars traveling from southern and central Gaza to the northern part of the region.

• The Second Phase of the Gaza Agreement: Three Objectives behind the Choice of the “Keeper of Secrets”

• The Reason behind Netanyahu’s Refusal to Allow the Entry of ‘Caravans’ and Heavy Equipment into Gaza

Questions Raised

Officials from several agencies have noted that parts of the plan were presented in vague terms, leaving questions about the role of the Israeli military and private contractors.

A U.N. official, commenting on the involvement of the Israeli military and external contractors, said, “I’m only guessing they’ll be at the checkpoints, but that’s not necessarily clear.”

They added, “There was a lot in the presentation about auditing, but it’s never clear exactly what they are talking about.”

• Trump’s Gaza Storm: Arab Initiative Seeks an Alternative to Halt Forced Displacement

• Gaza… The Besieged Treasure

It was unclear whether the plan set forth by the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) would only be implemented if no negotiated agreement is reached for extending the ceasefire during the first phase.

COGAT did not respond to The Washington Post‘s requests for clarification regarding the plan or specific details.

• Gazans Call for Aid to Combat Homelessness

• The Joy of Return and the Pain of Separation: Mixed Emotions for Northern Gaza Residents

Mechanism of Action

Under the plan discussed by relief agency officials, they would have to close nearly 60 warehouses they currently manage to distribute food, medical supplies, and other life-saving aid to Gaza’s residents.

The plan also includes inspecting aid at the Karem Abu Salem crossing, followed by its transfer to logistics centers established by Israel, from which it will be distributed to Israel-approved sites.

One relief official, in an email message, stated: “No supplies will be allowed to be distributed anywhere without the approval of the Coordination of Government Activities office, and we will not be permitted to maintain storage capacity or distribute it to unvetted partners.”

• Return that Defies “Nakba”: Residents of Northern Gaza between the Silence of the Rubble and the Clamor of Memory

• Gaza Ceasefire in Its Fourth Day: Doubts, Uncertainty, and Terrifying Gaps

“It will also be necessary to inspect all our international and local staff, and possibly even our clients, which we currently reject (especially for Palestinians) because this could pose a danger to their safety and privacy.”

Scott Paul, who works as Director of Peace and Security at Oxfam America, argued that the proposed arrangement would impose “stricter limitations on the flow of aid, who can deliver it, how it can be delivered, how quickly it can be delivered, and where it can ultimately be distributed.”

He added, “We won’t accept these terms anywhere, and certainly not in Gaza.”

• Gaza Reconstruction Will Require Billions of Dollars

• Back to the Ruins in Gaza: When Rubble Becomes a Homeland and Memories a Shelter

However, according to another official, the biggest concern is “how aid is distributed and how we ensure that people are not intimidated by that aid, that Israelis are not using it as a means to gather intelligence, or as a tool for intelligence gathering, and how we truly protect and preserve our staff as well as our partners from a one-sided, military power exercising control.”

Even before the war, Gaza had been heavily reliant on foreign humanitarian aid, despite Israel imposing strict controls on the goods that entered and left the region.

When the current conflict began with Hamas’s attack on southern Israel in October 2023, Tel Aviv immediately closed all points of entry and exit for humanitarian aid.

• Gaza Agreement: What Did the Mediators Say?

• Some Progress in Gaza Negotiations without Reaching an Agreement

Under pressure from the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, Israel allowed some aid to enter, though at levels that left Gaza’s population without adequate food, water, medical care, or proper sanitation.

On Sunday last week, Israel halted all aid shipments to Gaza and repeated its longstanding accusations—denied by relief agencies—that the aid was being diverted to Hamas.

Gaza had witnessed a significant influx of aid following the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel on January 19.

• Gaza Ceasefire: “Slow” Steps Amidst Gaps and Obstacles

• “Death Trap” in Gaza: International Report Condemns Israel’s Actions

• Gaza Welcomes 2025 with “Wasted Hope”: Talks of a “Deadlock” in Negotiations