A controversial aid group hired by Israel and supported by the United States said that it has started its operations in southern Gaza while the Israeli army continues its attacks through the enclave in order to take control of Gaza.
This occurs when more than 180,000 people were moved to Gaza in just 10 days between May 15 and 25, according to the United Nations International Migration Organization (OIM).
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which bypassing the aid distribution networks established by the UN and the charities, said that it had distributed food boxes to the Palestinians on Tuesday after announcing that it had opened its first distribution centers in southern Gaza.
The UN and international aid agencies have declared that they would not cooperate with the company registered with Switzerland, which distributes aid under the protection of armed security entrepreneurs, in the middle of the concern that the program could be used to “arm” the aid, causing an additional trip to the Palestinians.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Humanitarian Office, said deliveries was a “distraction of what is really necessary”, calling for the reopening of all passages in Gaza and more Israeli approvals for emergency supplies that are just outside the Gaza borders while waiting to be left.
The GHF continued its mission despite the resignation of executive director Jake Wood on Sunday, who said that he could not join the “humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence”.
The new operation will be based on four main distribution centers in the south of Gaza which will project families to involve the Palestinian group Hamas, potentially using facial recognition or biometric technology, according to help managers mentioned by the Reuters news agency.
But many details on the operation of the operation remain unexplained, including the question of how the Palestinians have dispersed through central and north Gaza, many of which are sick and weakened by a lack of food, should cover long distances to receive aid.
“Only those who move south will obtain aid,” said Tareq Abu Azzoum of Tel Aviv Tribune, reported by Deir El-Balah in the center of Gaza. “People will be forced to browse long distances in very dangerous security circumstances in order to obtain plots that will be sufficient for a few days; And later they will have to travel again. ”
Abu Azzoum said that many Palestinians were concerned about GHF’s bonds with the Israeli government, “raising massive concerns about the use of aid as a political tool … to control the movement of the Gaza population”.
At the start of the GHF operation, 13 other Palestinians were killed in the band on Tuesday and the Gaza Ministry of Health said that the total number of conflict dead had exceeded 54,000.
The head of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, denounced the deadly strikes of Israel on civil facilities during his extended military offensive as “odious”.
His comments followed the Israeli bombing of a school in Gaza City the day before, which killed 36 people – mainly women and children.
“Help washing”
The GHF announcement occurred while Israel faced the global conviction of Gaza conditions, its population of 2.1 million people subject to a constant attack in the middle of an imminent famine.
Former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness criticized the new program as “aid wash”.
“It is simply the use of humanitarian aid to justify the armament of humanitarian aid, but also to justify ethnic cleaning and genocide,” Gunness told Tel Aviv Tribune.
He also raised concerns about the use of security entrepreneurs to monitor the operation, claiming that “subcontracting of mercenaries” could lead to a disaster similar to that of “flour massacre” from last year, in which at least 112 people were killed while waiting for food southwest of Gaza City.
France, the United Kingdom and Canada have declared that they will take “concrete actions” if Israel “would not cease the renewed military offensive and do not raise its restrictions on humanitarian aid”. They were joined by Germany this week, which said that the humanitarian report of the Israeli offensive “can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism”.
On Tuesday, Germany and Finland called on nations to “exert pressure” on Israel to allow humanitarian aid in Gaza needing urgent. Earlier, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristers said that the European Union should impose sanctions on Israel.
Defying international criticism, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right minister of Israel, said on Tuesday that Gaza should be refused aid.
“I tell the Prime Minister:” Dear Prime Minister, we must not give them humanitarian aid. We must not give them fuel … “Our enemies only deserve a ball to the head,” he told a large crowd participating in the controversial march of the “Jerusalem day” on the march occupied by Jerusalem.
Israel intercepts Houthi missiles
On Tuesday, the Israeli army said that it had intercepted a missile and another projectile from Yemen, where the Houthi rebels have regularly launched attacks in self -proclaimed solidarity with the Palestinians attacked in Gaza.
The Houthis have shot missiles and drones on Israel since the start of the war in October 2023. They interrupted their attacks during a two-month-old Gaza ceasefire which ended in March, but resumed them after Israel restarted its campaign on the territory.
While most projectiles have been intercepted, a missile fired by the group at the start can hit the perimeter of Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv for the first time.
Israel has also carried out several attacks against Yemen in recent months, notably on ports and Sanaa airport.