US confirms plan for private firms to deliver Gaza aid despite UN alarm

[Twiglets1]

The US has confirmed that a new system for providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza through private companies is being prepared, as Israel's blockade continues for a third month.

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said "distribution centres" protected by security contractors would provide food and other supplies to over a million people initially, as part of an effort to prevent Hamas stealing aid.

He denied Israel would take part in aid delivery or distribution, but said its forces would secure the centres' perimeters.

It comes as details emerged about the controversial plan, which UN agencies have reiterated they will not co-operate with because it appears to "weaponize" aid.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp92rlm300mo

Hungry Palestinians desperate for food have broken into a warehouse in Central Gaza. Two people have reportedly died.

This in my opinion was expected to happen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qg5z4lkj0o

If Israel had a moral compass, it has long died and buried six foot in the ground.

I reported the same thing at 7.05 today on this thread.

It was a UN warehouse. It isn’t that surprising but the UN would have been the first to criticise had the event happened at one of the new aid distribution centres rather than at their warehouse.

They have criticised it saying its happening because of how limited aid is allowed in and people are starving!

If only the UN would distribute aid then with the new process.
But looks like they’d rather let Gazans starve than do the humanitarian thing.

Times of Israel: Gaza aid group opens 2nd distribution center, day after first site swarmed by crowds

The Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said Wednesday it had successfully opened its second aid distribution center in southern Gaza, after the launch of its first site a day earlier descended into chaos when crowds stormed the facility.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Wednesday that at least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others were wounded the day before when shots were fired on the crowd that swarmed the first site, in Rafah. The second site is also located in Rafah.

GHF said late Wednesday that there had been no deaths at any of its locations.
According to the foundation, both sites were now fully operational.
GHF said that the newly opened site delivered “all available aid without incident — approximately eight trucks’ worth.”

“Operations will continue scaling across all four sites, with plans to build additional sites across Gaza in the weeks ahead,” the foundation said.

The Israel Defense Forces said troops only fired warning shots into the air.
It was not known whether the alleged death and the injuries were caused by Israeli forces, American private contractors securing the site, or other parties. The foundation said its military contractors had not fired on the crowd but “fell back” before resuming aid operations.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaza-aid-group-opens-2nd-distribution-center-day-after-first-site-swarmed-by-crowds/

Israel is not authorising them to distribute aid HTH

So the UN can distribute aid alongside the new system. Good to know.

🙄

They are allowed to work alongside the GHF but appear to be choosing not to as they want the new system to fail.

Quite right they aren't, the new system goes against humanitarian rules of aid distribution and is a tool for ethnically cleansing the north of Gaza. Why do you think the CEO resigned? It has been heavily criticised by the EU too including our government. Do they all have ulterior motives?

Aid is going in through two avenues both the UN and this foundation. Israel have restricted thr amount the UN can deliver.

Ultimately they want the UN to work with the foundation which definitely won’t happen. I suspect international pressure will mean that they leave the UN working and instead just continue to restrict the amount they can deliver.

So UN think it's better not to feed people even though the UN say they're starving. What kind of purity spiral is that?

Don’t need to hear their reasons for hundredth time.

I was just clarifying that they could work alongside the GHF if they wanted to and personally I think they should given that Gazans are starving.

It’s hard to know how much of their objections are based on ego because their systems were deemed to be funding Hamas so needed to be replaced, & how much they are based on humanitarian considerations. Either way, they could help with the distribution in local areas even while voicing that it’s not enough/in the wrong areas/ doesn’t reach everyone or any other criticisms.

And as to why the CEO resigned, my guess is he didn’t want to attract all the personal attacks that would have come his way by the people who disagree with the scheme. But that’s not the reason he gave… maybe his reasons were complex.

The reasons he gave were quite clear I'm not sure why anyone would think it was anything else apart from the reasons he stated.

Exactly

"My guess" means nothing @Twiglets1

No humanitarian is going to work with a scheme which is a tool to depopulate Gaza basically. The UN can’t be complicit in that.

It’s a very murky set up. That’s why it is getting widespread criticism from governments, aid agencies and so on.

But you asked me why do YOU think the CEO resigned?

Why did you do that? We are both aware of the reasons he gave.

Tbh I considered ignoring the question but then I would have been accused of ignoring the question.

It was a rhetorical question.

Which I thought was clear as the reasons for his resignation have already been discussed.

That was not clear.

Ok I will ignore your questions in future in case they are rhetorical.

@Twiglets1 🙂appreciate the updates.

So aid distributed independently of hamas helps sideline hamas enough to weaken their control in Gaza. I hope both aims are successful.

I hope so too.

I’m not sure about this new scheme myself and certain criticisms seem very valid. For example, they do need to build distribution units across all of Gaza including the North, and the amount of aid needs to increase fast.

But it does seem better than doing nothing or unwittingly helping to fund Hamas.

Is it easier to get Aid into southern Gaza than Northern Gaza?

Why didn’t the UN ensure their Aid wasn’t used to fund Hamas?

I’d need to understand that before I was ready to assume Israel’s deliberate inhumanity.