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

The clan were working alongside the GHG at the distribution centres.

I don’t personally consider it likely that it is one of Netanyahu’s objectives. I think he just thought the clan will be useful to him for a while as both on the same side against Hamas.

However, I do think it’s a mistake that could have unintended negative consequences. Though I don’t know that much about the clans tbh. Like most things in Gaza, it sounds complicated.

It’s absolutely no way acceptable for Hamas to target innocent aid workers. However I would also take this with the bucket of salt. The GHF and the Israeli administration are im cahoots with each other. They aren’t independent and that essentially is why everyone has an issue with them.

There is obviously a lot of fog here. We here what the Israeli administration want us to here. Then on the other side Hamas are in charge and they have their own nefarious agenda.

The clan are militants & are being paid by Netanyahu to protect the sites with guns, not handing out aid.

Aid workers have a different role and should not have been targeted.

They couldn’t be described as completely independent due to their funding, I agree.

But the GHF aid workers have not been involved in any fighting, they are there to hand out humanitarian aid. Even if the existence of the centres is controversial, that in no way gives Hamas an excuse for targeting innocent aid workers.

I definitely agree they should not have been. I have definitely read reports that the Abu Shabab clan are working alongside the GHG and IDF to distribute aid. They are also reportedly trying to recruit other Palestinians to work with them. Although this is often denied due to the repercussions for both sides if they admit it, there's alot of evidence that points towards it.

It is in no way acceptable for Hamas to target Palestinian aid workers who are working for the GHF & I would have thought that was something we could all agree on!
Yes that's why I said it my post.

It’s not the fault of the GHF workers that there isn’t enough food to feed everyone.
Of course it is not, no one is blaming the workers I am blaming the Israel government and the US for militarising the distribution of aid. The system the UN was overseeing was working before the blockade they have reported that they lost less than 1% to theft which is very low and they are still waiting on the evidence from Israel that Hamas were looting excessive amounts of aid.

If you have found a reputable source that the Abu Shabab clan have put down their guns & become aid workers then you should link it.

Last night the GHF distrubuted aid overnight and put up a post at 3am to say they had finished. However, the IDF warned Palestinians not to come to the site till 6am as it is considered a combat zone. What's going on here? Why are the GHF distributing aid during hours where it is dangerous for the Palestinians to travel to the site?

As you know @ComeAsYouAreAsAFriend it’s hotly disputed how much aid was being stolen while the UN were in charge of distributing it.

Enough aid was being looted or otherwise found its way to Hamas that Israel considered it a problem. Otherwise they wouldn’t have gone to the trouble & expense of developing a new aid distribution system.

The Israeli government claim it was at the most 10% but have no evidence to back up this claim.

Can aid workers not have guns? Many of the GHF workers have guns.

Either way there is no concrete evidence that they are, however the Abu Shabab clan have said openly they are recruiting Palestinianst to work as aid workers. I'm sure more will come out in due time.

I imagine because it’s safer for them to distribute aid because they have the military protection of the IDF and also a clan with guns protecting them now.

I have also read they are directly distributing some aid to Palestinians at times outside of the centre opening hours. I hope more information comes out about this.

I totally agree with you. I mean unarmed people on the way to work shouldn’t be targeted anyway. Were they targeted though? Or is it these clans that were targeted? Because if they were that’s a very serious development. And why is the GHF calling this out and not calling out Palestinians on the way to get aid getting shot?

I don’t think we know who is funding it right now? I think part of the issue is that they haven’t disclosed that information. And I do wonder if it’s actually been financed by Israel itself.

The whole thing is very murky, and we may never have a clear picture of the ins and outs of it.

@Whatsinanamehey you have a habit of stating things as though they are facts without linking to any sources or evidence.

Where is your evidence that the Abu Shabab clan have become aid workers not militants? You also seem to be implying that the GHF aid workers would shoot people coming to get aid. Where is your evidence that their role is not wholly humanitarian?

It seems to be a clumsy effort to distract from the real story which is Hamas killing Palestinian aid workers.

@Odras the GHF is calling it out because it is their aid workers who have been attacked, killed & possibly kidnapped by Hamas.

I think this gives mixed messages which can be lethal for the Palestinians. How will they know when the IDF will allow them to travel at times which they have said not to in? What if they try to now go to distribution centres early and this time the IDF do shoot at them? There was no announcement by the IDF last night to say they could travel so the GHF operated in a time that was directly contradicting orders the IDF gave to civilians. This is extremely dangerous.

@Odras the funding is assumed to be a US/Israel collaboration from what I’ve read.

Civilians can’t travel to the aid centre outside of the designated times.

But I believe the aid was distributed directly to people rather than people coming to the centres. Possibly delivering to civilians living in other parts of Gaza I don’t know. Details are not known at this time.

Where did I hint that they would shoot at them? I said they also carry guns. You seem to assume that aid workers don't carry guns.

According to the Washington post, the Palestinian aid workers that were attacked were Palestinian volunteers so not even being paid by the GHF but working alongside them to help distribute aid.

Yes that might be true. This was from CNN

Abu Shabab told CNN that he leads “a group of citizens from this community who have volunteered to protect humanitarian aid from looting and corruption.”
The reality is more complicated.
Israeli officials have acknowledged providing weapons to Abu Shabab’s militia, as part of an operation to arm local groups to counter Hamas.

BBC also reporting on the story:

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said the attack followed days of threats from Hamas - and that they feared some workers had been "taken hostage".

"We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms," it said in a statement.

The Israeli military did not immediately corroborate the allegation, but shared part of the GHF's statement, adding: "Hamas will stop at nothing to maintain control and prevent the effective delivery of aid".

On Saturday, the GHF accused Hamas of making threats that "made it impossible" to operate in Gaza. Hamas denied this and said the GHF operation had "utterly failed on all levels".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gr1rk5nvxo

Well that is even more highly suspicious. Why is the GHF busing in volunteers.

I will await more details to comment further.