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

Controlling bastards 😡

Why, because they are taking measures to make sure Hamas can’t gain control of the aid like they always used to?

This won’t work. In every famine situation you get aid diverted by more powerful groups - whether Government backed or simply gangs or other local factions. This is generally seen as inevitable. The only way to avoid this is to ensure there is an excess of aid so this doesn’t mean that ordinary people can’t access it. If it’s very limited it has a high value so will be more likely to be diverted and then sold.

Because it's inhumane to decide exactly how much, and what, a population are "allowed" to eat. Basic means possibly just enough to (possibly) survive, but as many will already be suffering from malnutrition they may die from the associated effects of that anyway. In other words it's too little too late.

And I don't buy the very convenient BS that Hamas stole all the food.

Exactly this.
Netanyahu is getting alot of flak from his extremist government for bowing down to US pressure and not continuing their barbaric starvation, so he might be trying to appease them by saying it will just be a minimum amount.

It is a war zone you know not a normal situation and no doubt logistically difficult to get food to the right places without enabling Hamas to steal any of it.

Convenient BS? It is well documented that Hamas were stealing humanitarian aid but there’s no point arguing with you.

It would be nice if you could just be a bit happy that food is being allowed back in without immediately turning that news into yet another negative.

Tbh I think it’s sensible to have a third party distribute it. There was someone who worked in the area on mumsnet who basically said that in these situations it is pretty common for a “cut” to go to militant groups and that was often the price of getting aid past militants.

The less that gets taken the better imo. I’m only concerned about aid getting in and getting to people who actually need it, the “who” matters less. I would feel the same if I was gazan, I wouldn’t give a shit if it was an american giving me a bag of flour to feed my kids, all I would care about is getting the bag of flour.

There needs to be an abundance of that aid though.

@Twiglets1 , your determination to paint this food distribution in a rosy glow isn't fooling anyone. There's no one here who wouldn't be relieved if the food aid allowed in was being properly distributed and was sufficient to meet the desperate needs of the people.
It clearly isn't, as posters have described in detail above.

Your many many posts aren't fooling us.

I never thought I would be criticised for saying it's good news that food aid is finally being allowed into Gaza.

I was one of the people criticising the Israel government for withholding humanitarian aid so it's consistent that I would be glad that they will now be allowing it back into Gaza.

The food distribution hasn't even started yet but people have already decided to turn it into a negative thing rather than saying Thank God Israel have softened their stance (for whatever reason) - hope it reaches the civilians who need it quickly.

Surely those calculations are done all the time by aid organisations eg how many people, how many calories, nutritional content, cultural considerations.

You may not buy the comment that hamas steal and monetise aid, that's your privilege.

Oh you know exactly what you are doing @Twiglets1 , you're poor me act is embarrassing.

"poor me" act? No one needs to feel sorry for me so no idea what you are talking about there.

It's another consideration in aid distribution that people rarely are aware of, in this situation it's prolonging the agony of a war and a solution is being attempted. It may not work but the current situation is untenable.

The UN currently has 60 million meals plus medical and housing aid sitting in Israel literally a few km from desperate, starving Gazans. Israel should just be letting this aid in. The whole narrative of there is no option other than a profiteering private US contractor taking in “basic’ amounts of food a “few weeks” from now is nonsense.

From The Times of Israel
The reaction of some in Israel to the US forced resumption of limited aid into Gaza:

“The prime minister is making a grave mistake with this move, which doesn’t even have a majority,” Ben Gvir argued in a statement. “We must crush Hamas and not simultaneously give it oxygen.”

Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, of Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party, said: “This is our tragedy with Netanyahu’s approach. A leader who could have led to a clear victory and been remembered as the one who defeated radical Islam, but who time after time lets this historic opportunity slip away. Letting humanitarian aid in now directly harms the war effort to achieve victory and another obstacle to the release of the hostages.”

The Tikva Forum, which represents a hawkish group of families of hostages held in Gaza, said it was “shocked” by the decision “to give Hamas a gift without getting anything back, while our loved ones have been starved for almost 600 days.”
www.timesofisrael.com/insanity-hawkish-politicians-groups-pillory-netanyahu-for-resuming-aid-to-gaza/
…….

We know Ben Givr, Smotrich and Netanyahu et al are not concerned about the hostages anyway, but I wonder how the Tikva Forum thinks their loved ones, the hostages, have been getting food during the blockade? During the blockade they will have been getting even less than before along with everyone else in Gaza.

There's plenty of testimony from ex-hostages about this if you want to find it or choose to believe it.

Choose to believe what about hostages’ food?

I don't understand what point some people are trying to make? Because Hamas takes some of the aid, that legitimises Israel starving the rest of the Palestinians or makes their decision somewhat understandable? Because that's fucking nuts.

About who gets the food and where it's squirreled away to.

The plan has moved on from that … Israel are allowing aid in very shortly Netanyahu announced yesterday. Then the other plan is coming into effect the end of May I believe.

What are you saying?

You said before there are testimonies.
There's plenty of testimony from ex-hostages about this if you want to find it or choose to believe it.

I have read some testimonies from hostages about how they were affected by even greater shortages of food when there were conditions of greater shortage in Gaza.

Were you suggesting they are not to be believed?

I know. I don't understand it. You are never going to starve Hamas to death without starving every single more vulnerable person first. The logical answer to aid being taken is to flood gaza with aid to take away it's value. Yes Hamas will have food and medicine but they will get it anyway no matter what, they are terrorists after all.

It's part of the reason Hamas had so much power in the first place, Israels restrictions. Hamas had access to tunnels, Hamas could smuggle in 'contraband', simple things like fishing nets, cleaning supplies, educational equipment like laptops and paper. Israel created this blackmarket for normal everyday goods giving the people who can provide the things we all need power and money.

None of this makes sense as a way to stop Hamas. All it is a continuation and escalation of the desire to have ultimate control over Palestinians with the end goal being to make Gaza such a terrible place to be that people either die or want to leave. Then you can throw your hands up and say "See! They want to go! This isn't ethnic cleansing, this is giving the people what they want. And look! A land without people, well it would be rude not to take it."

Netanyahu said this morning that even though they are allowing in minimum aid, he hasn't abandoned his aim to take over the whole of Gaza. I believe you are spot on @Mylegishangingoff

Have you also heard that the hamasniks were not short of food. Hostages are being deliberately starved whether there is food or not.

I am saying they will have been getting less than ever while the Palestinian people are getting less than ever.