Mike Huckabee: Private Security Firms to Lead Gaza Aid Distribution, Israel to Stay Out of Operations
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed that Israel will not take part in distributing humanitarian aid inside the Gaza Strip. Instead, private security companies — not traditional humanitarian organizations — will oversee the ‘delivery and protection’ of aid under a new American plan.
The U.S. is leading the effort to establish around 400 distribution points across Gaza. Huckabee said Israel’s role will be limited to “security coordination,” while for-profit security firms manage food distribution and worker safety on the ground.
This militarized approach risks undermining the neutrality of aid work. Human rights groups warn that outsourcing humanitarian delivery to private companies could increase civilian risks and reduce transparency.
Israel won’t be involved in on-the-ground aid distribution, according to Huckabee. He added that the U.S. shares Israel’s concern that Hamas has been allegedly stealing humanitarian aid.
The plan has faced criticism for addressing Gaza’s man-made famine through indirect means, while deliberately avoiding the root cause: Israel’s siege and deliberate starvation policies.
Since March 2, no food, fuel, or supplies have entered Gaza due to Israel’s complete siege. Aid agencies say over two million Palestinians face starvation, with famine already spreading across the territory.
Despite long-standing Israeli claims that Hamas steals aid, U.S. and United Nations officials say there is no verified evidence of theft. Former U.S. envoy David Satterfield said Israel has provided no proof of Hamas diverting U.N. assistance. U.N. officials added that reports of looting typically involve desperate civilians, not resistance groups.
On the ground, local authorities, as well as witnesses and reports in Gaza, revealed that Israeli-backed armed gangs loot aid deliveries. In multiple documented cases, Israeli forces killed Palestinian police officers attempting to secure the convoys.
