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Israel and the United States are attempting to enlist the United Nations’ cooperation in a newly approved humanitarian aid distribution plan for Gaza, according to Israeli and Western diplomats speaking to The Jerusalem Post.
The proposal aims to streamline aid delivery to Palestinian civilians while minimizing the risk of supplies being diverted by Hamas.
The initiative, approved during an Israeli cabinet meeting earlier this week, seeks to shift the existing system of aid convoys into one based on localized distribution centers.
These centers would be established in IDF-controlled zones and would deliver aid directly to individual families, bypassing middlemen and reducing opportunities for interference by militant factions.
In recent days, Israeli officials from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) have held multiple meetings with United Nations representatives to outline the plan.
They are exploring how the UN and other international actors could be integrated into the distribution system while still maintaining oversight by Israeli forces.
U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff also briefed members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday regarding the initiative.
According to two sources familiar with the matter, the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump may consider reducing or suspending funding to the UN if the organization ultimately rejects participation.
Witkoff appeared at a diplomatic reception marking Israel’s 77th Independence Day at its embassy in Washington D.C. on May 6, where he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to securing effective humanitarian assistance for Gazans without compromising security or enabling terrorist exploitation.
The proposed plan would retain the same international suppliers currently delivering food and essential goods into Gaza, but with a tighter distribution model designed by Israel.
However, Israel is seeking UN involvement for two key reasons: legitimacy in the eyes of the international community and the cooperation of aid organizations that require UN coordination.
“Some organizations are hesitant to cooperate without a clear UN endorsement,” one Israeli diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post. “We want this process to have the widest possible support to ensure it is effective and recognized.”
Despite these efforts, the United Nations has so far refused to join the initiative. A senior UN official reiterated the organization’s stance in a statement to the Post, emphasizing the principles that guide UN humanitarian operations.
“We have been very clear that we would not participate in a humanitarian distribution system that does not respect our principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality,” the official stated.
The push for this new system comes as Israel claims that humanitarian conditions in Gaza, while challenging, are not at a critical point that would require immediate changes to the current method of aid delivery.
The IDF has stated that sufficient quantities of aid are already inside Gaza, and the new plan is being prepared as a preemptive measure to improve accountability and efficiency.
With tensions still high and the humanitarian situation fragile, the next steps will depend on whether compromises can be reached to align Israel’s security concerns with the UN’s humanitarian standards.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members