UN slams US-backed Israel aid plan for Gaza as 'fig leaf' for war
No humanitarian aid has reached Gaza since March 2, while over half a million people face starvation, say global monitors
No aid has entered Gaza since March 2
Hunger monitor warns half a million people face starvation
US urges UN, aid groups cooperate with new distribution plan
Adds further detail on aid plans; U.S., Israel comment
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher on Tuesday blasted an Israel-initiated, U.S.-backed plan to hand over Gaza aid distribution to private companies, calling it a "fig leaf for further violence and displacement" of Palestinians.
“It is a cynical sideshow. A deliberate distraction,” Fletcher told the UN Security Council.
Why it matters
No humanitarian aid has reached Gaza since March 2, while over half a million people face starvation, according to global food monitors. The UN and aid groups say Israel is blocking access and using starvation as a bargaining chip.
Driving the news
Israel wants private contractors to manage aid in southern Gaza as it prepares a new military offensive.
The U.S. endorsed a similar model via a new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, with few public details.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has rejected Israel’s approach, warning it would "limit aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour.
Between the lines
Fletcher said the UN met Israeli officials over a dozen times but failed to reach a workable agreement.
He warned Israel’s plan would force Palestinians to relocate, placing military goals over civilian needs.
"It makes starvation a bargaining chip," Fletcher said.
What they’re saying
Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said “We will not allow the old, broken system to remain in place.”
U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea said the foundation will deliver aid “without Hamas stealing, looting or leveraging this assistance.”
Fletcher said, “We can save hundreds of thousands… but Israel denies us access, placing depopulation above civilian lives.”
Yes, but
The new aid model limits deliveries to southern Gaza, leaving much of the north in crisis. Aid would be conditional on relocation—a red line for most humanitarian agencies.
Bottom line
Most UN Security Council members, including Britain, France, and Denmark, pushed back against any aid model that prioritizes military aims or sidelines the U.N.
“We cannot support any model that places political or military objectives above the needs of civilians,” a joint statement read.
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