A new US-backed humanitarian group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), is set to begin operations in the Gaza Strip by the end of May, Reuters reported on Thursday. The group aims to provide aid through a plan endorsed by Israel and supported by private American firms.

The foundation has asked Israel to temporarily allow international aid groups to resume deliveries under current procedures until its infrastructure is in place. No humanitarian assistance has entered Gaza since March 2.

The Israeli government, citing repeated diversion of aid by Hamas, has largely frozen aid deliveries until the terrorist group releases all remaining hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. Israel supports what it calls “the American humanitarian plan,” which US Ambassador Mike Huckabee outlined at a press gaggle at the American embassy in Jerusalem on Friday, and which sidelines international bodies like the United Nations in favor of private-sector-led aid distribution, with the stated goal of ensuring better oversight and security.

Under the plan, aid will be delivered to a limited number of “secure distribution sites” in southern Gaza, managed and protected in coordination with the Israeli military. Once in place, humanitarian supplies will be handed over to aid groups for civilian distribution.

GHF is coordinating with two American firms—UG Solutions, a security company, and Safe Reach Solutions, which specializes in logistics—to implement the operation. A source familiar with the project said GHF is seeking expanded access, urging the Israel Defense Forces to help identify safe sites in northern Gaza as well.

In a letter to the Israeli government, GHF Executive Director Jake Wood emphasized the need for broader coverage. “A successful humanitarian response must eventually include the entire civilian population in Gaza,” he wrote. Wood also urged the IDF to allow aid to resume using existing channels until GHF’s system becomes operational.

While the initiative has been welcomed in Jerusalem, where officials remain skeptical of the United Nations’ ability to prevent aid from reaching Hamas, several international organizations have expressed concerns.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar reaffirmed support for the American plan on Wednesday, calling it a “responsible approach to ensuring aid reaches civilians without strengthening Hamas.”

The ICRC criticized the plan, saying humanitarian efforts must remain neutral and unimpeded. “Humanitarian aid should not be politicized nor militarized,” said ICRC spokesperson Steve Dorsey. “The level of need among civilians in Gaza right now is overwhelming.”

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