Israel will not participate in the food aid distribution plan in Gaza . The United States announced this, confirming its presence in the Strip where food has been scarce since Israel decided to block all deliveries more than two months ago . "The Israelis will be involved in providing the necessary military security, because this is a war zone, but they will not be involved in the distribution of food or its transportation to Gaza," said US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at a press conference.
Security at the distribution points will be provided “by private contractors ,” while the Israeli military will provide “remote” security to protect them from ongoing fighting, Huckabee said. Israel has not commented on the announcements . Maintaining that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel says the blockade, imposed on March 2, is aimed at forcing Hamas to release hostages still held there since the Palestinian Islamist movement’s attack on October 7, 2023.
For weeks, United Nations and NGO officials have been warning of shortages of food, medicine and fuel in the Palestinian territory , where aid is vital for the 2.4 million people left in the Strip after more than 19 months of war.
(Online Union)
