The U.S., in collaboration with Israel, has proposed a new humanitarian aid plan for Gaza, prompted by a two-month Israeli blockade that began in March 2025, exacerbating famine risks for Gaza’s 2.1 million residents. The plan, led by the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), aims to deliver aid through four secure distribution hubs in southern Gaza, initially serving 1.2 million people—about 60% of the population—with plans to scale up. Private U.S. security contractors, using facial recognition technology, would secure these hubs, while Israeli forces provide perimeter security to prevent Hamas from accessing supplies. The U.S. claims this ensures aid reaches civilians directly, bypassing Hamas, which Israel accuses of stealing aid for profit and control.
However, the plan has faced sharp criticism. The UN, major aid groups like UNRWA, and organizations such as Oxfam and World Central Kitchen have rejected participation, arguing it violates humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. Critics, including UN aid chief Tom Fletcher, call it a “fig leaf for further violence and displacement,” alleging it facilitates Israel’s military strategy of relocating Gaza’s population southward and controlling aid as a pressure tactic. The plan’s limited hubs (replacing 400 UN distribution points) are deemed insufficient, potentially forcing displacement and leaving vulnerable groups, like the elderly and immobile, without aid. Concerns also arise over biometric vetting and the safety of aid recipients, given past Israeli attacks on civilians collecting aid.
The Trump administration has pushed for the plan’s adoption, with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee framing it as a Trump initiative to address starvation urgently. The U.S. has reportedly pressured aid groups, including threatening to cut World Food Program funding, to cooperate. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar endorses the plan, emphasizing it prevents Hamas from exploiting aid. Meanwhile, Hamas and Palestinian aid groups denounce it as militarizing aid and enabling displacement.
Satellite imagery shows construction of distribution sites in southern Gaza, with GHF planning to start operations by May’s end, though it has urged Israel to allow UN aid deliveries until then. The plan’s funding and operational details remain unclear, with countries like the UAE declining support due to its inadequacy. The UN warns of imminent mass starvation, with food, fuel, and medical supplies critically low, while Israel’s concurrent military escalation, approved by its security cabinet, adds complexity to the humanitarian crisis.