Gaza Foundation distributes the first aid-Hamas demands Boykott

A foundation supported by Israel and the USA, according to its own information, has distributed the first relief supplies to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This reported several Israeli and international media, citing a notification of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) founded a few months ago. The help should therefore be increased daily. The Ministry of the Interior, controlled by the Islamist Hamas, called for the residents of the Gaza Strip to boycott the new distribution mechanism.

With the distribution strategy supported by the USA, the Israeli government claims to prevent Hamas from stealing deliveries and making money with it. However, UN representatives say that Israel has not presented any evidence of this suspicion. The four GHF distribution centers in the south and in the center of the Gaza Strip are to be operated by US security companies. Israel wants to deal with the UN and other international helpers so aid organizations. The announcement by the GHF did not show how many of the four intended centers are now taking up their business.

A representative of every Palestinian family should go to one of the centers every five days to pick up an aid package, it said. The United Nations and aid organizations, which rejected a participation in the plan, consider this too dangerous and not very effective. Because the plan demands from the Palestinians that they have to go through dangerous combat areas on the long way to the distribution centers. The way could be impossible for old and sick people. Israel’s army also announced an unprecedented offensive on Monday and called the inhabitants of most places in southern Gaza stripes to leave them.

On Monday there was still media reports in Israel that the opening of a distribution center was delayed due to logistical difficulties. Now it was said in the “Times of Israel” and the “Jerusalem Post” that the GHF had not given any information on how much was distributed, but she published photos of residents who went away with packages. The GHF can only feed 60 percent of the population in the first few weeks, as the broadcaster CNN reported.

The foundation continued to say that today there were supposed to arrive further trucks with food and other relief goods. The GHF also criticized Hamas’ boycott call against the distribution centers: “It is clear that Hamas feels threatened by this new operating model and that everything in its power will do so to let it fail,” it said.

Hamas had claimed that the new mechanism was a intelligence operation that aims to collect information and bring about an internal split. Israel uses food as a weapon of war.

In March, Israel had blocked all aid deliveries to Gaza and shortly afterwards ended the ceasefire with Hamas. This should increase the pressure on Hamas to leave the last hostages released. There is a massive criticism of Israel’s approach in the coastal area, where around two million Palestinians live and dozens of deaths are reported every day. For a few days now, Israel has been leaving some relief supplies into the war zone again, which, according to UN, is far from being sufficient.

According to the Israeli army, 170 more trucks drove with international relief goods after strict control over the transition Kerem Schalom on Monday. However, according to UN, at least 500 to 600 truck loads would be necessary.

The Gaza War triggered was the worst massacre in the history of Israel, which Hamas and other terrorist groups had committed on October 7, 2023. Around 1200 people were killed and more than 250 were dragged into the Gaza Strip as hostages. According to the health authority controlled by the Hamas, more than 53,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the following war. The number does not differentiate between fighters and civilians and can hardly be checked independently.

Meanwhile, after a media report, Israeli floor troops penetrated several hundred meters deep into Lebanese territory. The Israeli army broadcaster, citing Lebanese information, reported that the troops were advanced in the area of ​​the village of Mais al-Jabal. The Israeli army initially did not comment on the report.

Israel and the Proiran Hisbollah militia had agreed a ceasefire in November. After months of presence, Israel had cleared a large part of his positions in the northern neighboring country in February. The Lebanese leadership evaluated the whereabouts of Israeli troops at five strategic points as a violation of the ceasefire agreement. Despite the ceasefire, Israel’s Air Force attacks destinations in the neighboring country almost every day.

According to the agreement, the Hisbollah should withdraw behind the Litani River, which is about 30 kilometers north of the state border. The militia accuses Israel of repeatedly violating this requirement.

Meanwhile, there were signs of possible movement in the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas about a new ceasefire. HAMAS circles said that the organization agreed to a ceasefire proposal by the US specialist Steve Witkoff. However, this rejected this immediately. What he saw from Hamas was “disappointing and completely unacceptable,” Barak Ravid, a well-connected correspondent on the US news page Axios, quoted from a conversation with Witkoff.

According to the Hamas, it is about a ceasefire of 60 days, the release of ten hostages and the entrance of 1000 trucks during the ceasefire.

According to Israeli information, at least 20 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip. With three other kidnapped people, it is unclear whether they still live. In addition, the remains of 35 abducted are located there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that he hoped for news about the hostages already today or on Wednesday.