The United Nations and numerous international humanitarian organisations have rejected Israel’s aid delivery plan for war-torn Gaza, which will involve distributing aid through private security contractors.

No official date for the implementation of Israel’s plan has been reported. The plan was approved by all the members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet except hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

“The design of the plan presented to us will mean large parts of Gaza, including the less mobile and most vulnerable people, will continue to go without supplies,” a statement by the Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said in a statement on Sunday.

“The plan is designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic – as part of a military strategy”.

Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in mid-March, Israel has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds. It has captured swathes of territory and now controls roughly 50 percent of Gaza.

Before the truce ended, Israel halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza, including food, fuel and water, setting off what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war. Pictures of starving children and people fighting each other over meagre meals have raised alarm bells among relief workers.

How will the plan work?

Israeli military officials on Friday put forward a firm, non-negotiable offer to senior officials from the United Nations and international aid organisations. which have been pressing Tel Aviv to let the aid flow in.

The Israeli military made its offer in a “take it or leave it” manner, say reports.

Israel would allow approximately 60 trucks per day to deliver essential food and household supplies into Gaza — just 10 percent of the daily volume permitted during the two-month ceasefire that concluded in March, according to The Washington Post.

The Israeli military would carry out inspections of the trucks at the Kerem Shalom crossing into southern Gaza.

Facial recognition will be employed to verify the identities of those entering the hubs.

“We did the entire operational planning of how we can deliver the aid needed — the exact amount needed and not an ounce more — directly into the hands of the people in Gaza and make sure Hamas doesn’t get it,” a former Israeli military official who was involved in initial planning months ago, told The Washington Post.

A portion of the funding for the aid will be used to hire private security contractors who are tasked to ensure that supplies don’t end up in the hands of Hamas. These contractors will be managed through a newly established non-profit organisation registered in Switzerland.

According to a US State Department spokesperson, an undisclosed private foundation would oversee the aid system and coordinate the delivery of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

The US anticipates that the United Nations and other international relief organisations will operate within the foundation’s framework to prevent the aid from going to the Palestinian resistance fighters.

‘Displacement of civilians in Gaza’

Aid organisations say that limiting aid delivery to a handful of southern locations in Gaza could be discriminatory and trigger further displacement of civilians.

Since the Israeli war began in October 2023, over 400 humanitarian workers—most of them reportedly killed by Israeli forces—have lost their lives, according to the United Nations.

Thousands of Palestinians, including aid personnel, have also been detained by Israeli troops.

The plan’s inclusion of biometric screening at aid distribution centres has also heightened fears among humanitarian groups that both their staff and recipients could be put at risk.

‘Humanitarian catastrophe’

Palestinian resistance group Hamas said on Monday that a new Israeli framework for aid delivery in Gaza amounted to "political blackmail" and blamed Israel for the war-ravaged territory's "humanitarian catastrophe".

"We reject the use of aid as a tool of political blackmail and support the UN's stance against any arrangements that violate humanitarian principles," Hamas said in a statement, adding Israel's "continued obstruction of aid entry" since March 2 made it "fully responsible" for the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza.

The Israeli aid plan was announced along with the Israel Security Cabinet’s unanimously approved plan to expand its ongoing military onslaught on Gaza and occupy territories inside the enclave.

According to the statement, the plan requires the army “to conquer Gaza and hold the territory under its control.” Israeli Channel 12 said the plan also includes the forcible relocation of Palestinians from northern Gaza to the south.

The plan “appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic – as part of a military strategy”, aid organisations said in a joint statement.

“We urge world leaders to use their influence to make that happen. The time is now.”