US-backed Gaza aid group set to begin operations
The US-backed humanitarian organization, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), is expected to begin distributing aid in Gaza by the end of May, according to Axios.
The report said Israel had agreed to temporarily resume humanitarian deliveries under existing mechanisms to allow the US-based organization time to complete its infrastructure for food and health aid distribution—reportedly designed to prevent assistance from reaching Hamas.
Israel has not officially confirmed the arrangement.
This decision comes after a two-month shutdown during which Israel closed border crossings and blocked aid deliveries, despite UN warnings that food supplies were running dangerously low.
Axios reported that the newly founded organization would begin distributing aid before the end of May, following negotiations with Israeli officials on interim supply routes and the construction of "secure distribution sites."
"We cannot wait for perfect conditions," said Jake Wood, executive director of GHF. "We have a responsibility to act without compromising our values. Today, we are one step closer to fulfilling that mission."
In a statement, GHF said it had entered the final phase of securing large quantities of humanitarian aid and planned to deliver over 300 million meals in the first 90 days of operations.
The new distribution model bypasses the UN and traditional humanitarian agencies in favor of private contractors and US logistical firms. According to Reuters, GHF will collaborate with US-based UG Solutions for security and Safe Reach Solutions for logistics.
The aid, once delivered to distribution sites in southern and northern Gaza, will be handed over to aid groups for civilian delivery, a source familiar with the plan told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
This structure has drawn sharp criticism from the UN and international NGOs, who warn that the plan risks violating core humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
"We have made clear our problems with the sort of aid mechanism that’s been proposed," UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said, echoing comments by UN aid chief Tom Fletcher.
In a letter sent to Israeli authorities on Wednesday, GHF asked the Israeli occupation army to identify locations in northern Gaza suitable for secure distribution sites within 30 days and to maintain the flow of aid through existing channels in the interim. The foundation also emphasized that any potential civilian displacement must remain voluntary and for protection purposes only.
In a separate statement, GHF said Israel had agreed to expand the number of aid distribution locations to serve the entire population, including those unable to reach the official sites, according to France 24.
This development coincided with intensive negotiations held in Qatar involving a US delegation, aimed at reaching a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal, according to Israel's Channel 13.
The channel cited an Israeli government official who said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "will not back down from his refusal to end the war completely," adding that ready-to-launch military escalation plans could be activated within hours if negotiations stall.
The aid announcement came as Israeli forces intensified air and artillery strikes across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 73 people. The death toll includes civilians in multiple regions, with Khan Younis suffering the highest toll.
In the north and center of the territory, shelling and airstrikes hit homes and shelters, leaving dozens wounded, including women and children. Emergency teams are still searching through rubble as humanitarian conditions worsen by the day.
The Israeli occupation army resumed its assault on the Gaza Strip on March 18, renewing a war it launched on October 7, 2023. The escalation followed Israel’s refusal to uphold a ceasefire agreement that took effect on January 19 and was intended to culminate in a full exchange of detainees held by Hamas and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.