After trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza entered the Strip on Sunday, video clips posted online showed looters stealing the aid.
Humanitarian aid stolen off trucks in Gaza
Israel's ambitious program to provide humanitarian assistance to 1.2 million Palestinian residents of Gaza was about to begin after preparations to establish four distribution centers in Gaza were completed in coordination with Israel's defense authorities and the American aid and security groups.
The distribution centers will be in the area between the Netzarim and Morag corridors, splitting the Gaza Strip from west to east, in an area under IDF control. It was scheduled to begin on Sunday, but may be delayed at least by one more day.
According to a report in the Washington Post on Saturday, officials said that the IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, admitted in private conversations that he did not know how the distribution of food would work and what the responsibility of the IDF would ultimately be to ensure its execution. The officials said that the IDF hoped that it would become clear in the coming days.
The military was also preparing to set up more distribution areas in other parts of the Strip after they were deemed cleared of any terrorist presence, under instruction from the government.
According to the distribution plan, each family in Gaza would be able to go to the distribution area and receive the aid, unlike the method used by the UN and other aid agencies, previously, which relied on the aid being delivered to shops aid stations, allowing Hamas to then take control of the aid and use it for its own purposes.
The civilians who will come to receive the aid would not have to be vetted and recorded in order to establish trust between them and the aid providers. There will also not be a limit of one aid package per family.
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Each distribution center would provide the humanitarian aid to some 300,000 Gaza residents and will work around the clock, using staff from the aid organization and the local population but not with UN employees.
Dozens of trucks will arrive at the distribution areas daily, and be protected by landfills and armed American security personnel without the presence of IDF soldiers. But the military will maintain intelligence surveillance from the air to ensure their safety.
The UN said it would not take part in the new method of food distribution. It claimed that the food must be delivered to the civilian population and not require the residents of Gaza to travel a distance to distribution areas, if they want to receive the aid.
Israeli officials told Ynet that the UN's objections were politically motivated and originated at the UN headquarters in New York and not from the people on the ground in Gaza.