The location at an overview: Tug of tug about a new distribution system of relief goods in Gaza

Even before the official presentation of a new plan for the distribution of relief goods in the Gaza Strip, the initiative is massively criticized. The United Nations and numerous aid organizations reject the proposal of the newly founded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as impractical and dangerous. According to a media report, the United Arab Emirates also assess the strategy as unsuitable and do not want to finance it. The US ambassador in Israel, Mike Huckabee, on the other hand, assures that there are already several partners on board and the distribution of food, water and medication will begin soon.

Recently, more and more details of the GHF proposal had become known. The foundation wants to distribute relief goods to the Palestinians in the sealed coastal strip over four logistics centers. Private security guards should secure the routes and distribution centers, but Israeli soldiers are not involved in the issue. According to Huckabee, the elaboration of the plan was initiated by US President Donald Trump and is supported by the Israeli government.

Emirates do not want to support the plan financially

However, according to a media report, the United Arab Emirates do not want to finance the new plan for the delivery of relief goods in the Gaza Strip. The Emirates had rejected a corresponding Israeli request, the “Times of Israel” reported, citing a high -ranking civil servant familiar with the matter.

Accordingly, the head of the Israeli authority Cogat, General Major Ghassan Alian, and the Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, most recently traveled to the golf state, to ask the Minister of the United Arab Emirate for International Cooperation, Reem Al Hashimi, to ask for support. According to the report of the “Times of Israel”, however, she rejected this, because in her opinion the plan was not suitable to solve the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The rejection from the United Arab Emirates is a massive setback for the initiative. According to media reports, Israel had hoped to bring other countries and international organizations on board with the funding commitment of the Gulf State. Actually, the GHF wanted to go public this week, reported the “Times of Israel”, citing a western diplomat. Because there is still a lack of international support, the announcement has been postponed.

Israel’s military: Hamas finances fight with the sale of relief goods

For more than two months, the Israeli military has no longer let aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip. The armed forces accuse the terrorist organization of Hamas to sell the relief supplies to the needy population at excessive prices and to pay their fighters and weapons with the income.

The humanitarian situation in the region is catastrophic. Food, drinking water, medication and things of daily needs are missing. International aid organizations urgently warn of growing famine.

UN representative warns of the foundation plan for Gaza aid

The UNICEF children’s aid work considers the plans of the foundation to be dangerous to take on humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. If goods are only issued in certain distribution centers, as announced, civilians could get into the crossfire of the war on their way there, said Unicef ​​spokesman James Elder in Geneva.

Elderly, disabled children, the sick and injuries could not reach the distribution centers at all, warned Elder. “As a consequence of this plan, the likelihood that even more children will die and be injured, or that they are exposed to even greater risks,” he said.

The concept of the foundation, which has only existed since the end of January, was largely identical to the already known plan of the Israeli government, said two UN sources that did not want to be named to the German Press Agency. Israel’s plan had previously been rejected by UN organizations. “The plan does not meet the minimum requirements for humanitarian work,” confirmed UN-NOTHILPE spokesman Jens Laerke.

US ambassador in Israel: “It won’t be perfect”

US ambassador Huckabee, on the other hand, said it was not an Israeli plan, but an initiative initiated by US President Trump. However, the Israeli government supports the proposal. “She is very important to her humanitarian aid for Gaza, but she also wants to make sure that Hamas does not steal the relief goods,” he said in a press conference in front of the US message in Jerusalem.

According to Huckabees, a number of partners have already supported their support for the new distribution system of humanitarian aid – however, he did not want to give details. The US ambassador admitted that the implementation of the plan would be difficult. “It won’t be perfect – especially not at the beginning. It is a logistical challenge,” said Huckabee. However, he rejected the security concerns raised by the UN: “The greatest danger is that people are starving. The danger of doing nothing.”