May 14 (UPI) — The Israeli government will allow humanitarian aid to resume for several hundred thousand starving Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by a new relief group, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
GHF said it has the backing of the United States and Israel, according to a statement obtained by Axios. The foundation said it is in the final stages of committing more than 300 million meals for the initial 90 days.
Middle East Eye reported the foundation wants to ensure its “own security” in the Strip, and alleged Hamas had previously been stealing aid.
Since the cease-fire between Israel and militant-run Hamas ended on March 1, Israel has frozen all supplies of food, water and medicine to the region of an estimated 2.5 million people. The United Nations said Gazans are at a “critical risk of famine” with 1 in 5, or 500,000, facing starvation as the war rages since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation today announced that it will launch operations in the Gaza Strip before the end of the month,” the foundation said in a statement. “This follows discussions with Israeli officials to allow the flow of transitional aid into Gaza under existing mechanisms while construction of GHF’s Secure Distribution Sites is completed.”
In a seven-page document released last week, the foundation said it will initially serve 1.2 million people in the first phase with a capacity for more than 2 million.
The estimated cost is $1.30 per pre-packaged meal, including procurement, logistics, distribution and security. Also provided will be hygiene kits and medical supplies to “move through tightly controlled corridors, monitored in real time to prevent diversion.”
The foundation’s executive director, Jake Wood, said: “There is no time to wait for ideal conditions. We have a responsibility to act and to do it without compromising our values. Today we are one step closer to doing just that.”
Wood is a decorated Marine Corps veteran, social entrepreneur and expert in crisis leadership. In 2010, he co-founded and is CEO of Team Rubicon, a nonprofit of 180,000 veteran volunteers in humanitarian roles, including disaster response.
Team Rubicon has deployed to 1,300 places, including Haiti’s earthquake in 2010, Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria recovery in 2017, wildfire containment and COVID-19 response.
Wood also is the founder of Groundswell, which has raised more than $400 million in philanthropic and venture capital.
“Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks,” the U.N. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification platform said Monday. “The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity.”
The foundation sent a letter to Israel on Wednesday asking for Israel to facilitate the flow of enough humanitarian aid using existing modalities to Gaza until GHF’s distribution infrastructure is fully operational.
GHF asked for aid distribution centers in Northern Gaza Strip within 30 days.
The foundation has set up various donation plans, including one to cover 50 complete meals for $65. Items, including food, also will be accepted.
Available food is not only in short supply but costs have risen significantly since February. For example, a 55-pound sack of wheat flour now costs between $235 and $520, representing a 3,000 percent price rise in three months.
“In a scenario of a protracted and large-scale military operation and continuation of the humanitarian and commercial blockade, there would be a critical lack of access to supplies and services that are essential to survival,” the IPC said.
“Months of conflict have collapsed traditional relief channels in Gaza, leaving millions of civilians without reliable access to food, water, and other necessary supplies,” the foundation said. “Aid diversion, active combat, and restricted access have prevented life-saving assistance from reaching the people it is meant to serve and eroded donor confidence. GHF was established to restore that vital lifeline through an independent, rigorously audited model that gets assistance directly — and only — to those in need.”
Israel has been ramping up its airstrikes.
If displacement of Palestinian civilians “is deemed necessary due to imminent or active military operations, it should be temporary, voluntary, and solely for the protection of the civilian population,” the foundation said.
President Donald Trump has been pushing for a cease-fire. In April, Hamas rejected one proposed by Israel and called for a comprehensive deal to end the war instead. The Israeli plan called for Hamas’ disarmament and did not guarantee ending the Gaza war. Hamas refuses to disarm and said it won’t agree to a cease-fire that doesn’t include a permanent end to the fighting.
Abby Maxman, Oxfam America president and CEO, described the importance of a cease-fire to resume aid in Gaza as Trump tours Arab nations.
“As he travels in the region, starvation is expanding across the Gaza Strip, with children paying the highest price,” Maxman, who runs the organization that seeks to end poverty and injustice by addressing the root causes of poverty, said in a statement to UPI. “When they’re allowed to do their jobs, our brave humanitarian colleagues have been making sure food, water, hygiene materials and other essentials reach the Palestinians in Gaza who need it most.
“But right now, the humanitarian response is at a virtual standstill because for over two months, Israel has been blocking all aid and essential goods from reaching families who are truly on the brink.”
