Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is an initiative that originated in Israel, as he described the organization’s purpose in a Fox News interview broadcast on Sunday.
“We have a plan that we devised with the help of American firms to separate the giving of the humanitarian aid to the population from Hamas control,” Netanyahu said in the interview.
Netanyahu said he was committed to “separating Hamas from controlling the humanitarian aid that we’re trying to give the people of Gaza. Because they rob it, they steal it.”
The GHF, a shadowy new organization backed by the US and Israel, began distributing food packages in Gaza in May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution. The United Nations and major aid groups say the model violates basic humanitarian principles. Little is known about the Geneva-registered organization.
Announcing the initiative in May, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee argued that it was “wholly inaccurate” to describe the humanitarian aid initiative as Israeli, saying media reports characterizing it as such were “off the mark.”
Israel has accused Hamas, which started the ongoing war in Gaza, of stealing aid deliveries for its own purposes, denying the civilian population supplies. Last week, the Israel Defense Forces said documents retrieved from Gaza show that Hamas confiscates aid as a matter of policy.
Additionally, Netanyahu rejected as a “lie” claims by critics that Israel is trying to make Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians, adding that the death toll among Gaza civilians would be an “enormous number” if Israel didn’t go to the lengths it does to distinguish between fighters and noncombatants.
The prime minister also recalled US President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Gaza’s residents, saying that Palestinian residents of the Strip should be given the opportunity to decide if they want to follow that path.
The GHF said Sunday that it delivered 36,000 boxes at its three distribution centers that day. The organization employs inconsistent math in daily statements about its distribution efforts. As was usually the case, the majority of boxes were distributed at the site near the coast in Rafah’s Tel Sultan neighborhood, in southern Gaza.
Critics have accused the GHF of putting aid seekers in harm’s way, with operations beset by deadly incidents in which dozens of Gazans have reportedly been killed.
Hamas-controlled authorities said Sunday that five people were killed in Gaza in incidents near aid distribution sites.
It was unclear at what time the reported shootings took place. Earlier this month, the IDF warned Palestinians not to approach routes leading to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time, describing these roads as closed military zones. However, the GHF has indicated it may be open during those hours.
On Monday, the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced that 46 humanitarian aid trucks had entered the Gaza Strip the day before.
Israel resumed aid deliveries to Gaza on May 19, after a pause since March 2. Since then, 1561 trucks have entered the Strip.
Some of the truckloads have been taken to the new aid distribution sites run by the GHF, COGAT said in its statement.
The contents of many of the trucks that entered Gaza in recent weeks are still awaiting collection on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The aid underwent an inspection by Israeli authorities before entering Gaza via the crossing.
War erupted on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian terror group Hamas led a devastating invasion of southern Israel in which the attackers killed 1,200 people, and abducted 251 as hostages to Gaza.
Israel responded with a military campaign to destroy Hamas, topple its regime, and free the hostages, of whom 52 remain in captivity along with the body of an IDF soldier killed in 2014. Of these, at least 31 have been confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive, and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said.
Netanyahu said there has been “some development” in attempts to reach a hostage deal with Hamas.
“I hope we’re able to do that because I’m committed to getting them out,” he said. The premier has been in the past accused of not sufficiently prioritizing the return of the hostages.
The Israeli leader also spoke about the conflict with Iran, which Israel began attacking last Friday to destroy its nuclear development and missile infrastructure.
He said Israel “had to act” in the face of Iran’s ramped-up efforts to enrich uranium that could be used to make a weapon, and its ballistic missile program. Netanyahu insisted Israel is not trying to force a regime change in Tehran.
Iran has responded with deadly barrages of missiles and drones at Israeli cities.
Iran’s leaders, who are sworn to destroy Israel, have publicly denied seeking nuclear weapons, but have stocked up on 60%-enriched uranium — far above what is necessary for civilian uses, and a short step away from weapons-grade.
Agencies contributed to this report.