Israel considers using foreign subcontractors to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza Strip

The coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering the use of international subcontractors to distribute humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media reports.

The distribution of aid in Gaza has been a problem throughout the war, as even the U.S. and the U.N. have complained of “armed bandits” looting aid, while Israel directly accuses Hamas of stealing aid delivered to the Strip. 

The IDF has repeatedly found U.N. and international aid items in Hamas tunnels and terror infrastructure. Even Gaza residents have complained the terror group steals aid meant for them. However, the IDF so far refused to take over aid distribution.

The discussions about aid distribution resumed in earnest after a letter sent by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant threatened that the supply of weapons to Israel would be interrupted if the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza did not improve. 

That letter was leaked to the press last week. The Israeli government has denied there is a policy to restrict aid to the northern Gaza Strip.

The security cabinet had already discussed a proposal to hire an international security company to oversee the distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip, as the IDF has declined to take on that responsibility. 

The idea was reportedly discussed again during Sunday night’s cabinet meeting. 

Israel is unwilling to accept the proposal by some in the international community that the Palestinian Authority be given responsibility for aid distribution, saying it does not trust the P.A. 

Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist Moti Kahana said he hopes his company, Global Delivery Company, will be chosen for the task. 

Kahana came to international attention after he created an aid organization Amalia, named after his mother, to assist Syrians who needed medical treatment during the Syrian Civil War. 

Amalia brought Syrians who needed critical medical aid to Israel where they received treatment from Israeli doctors. This project was a complimentary project to the IDF’s Operation Good Neighbor. 

Kahana has also helped to rescue Jews from dangerous situations, including Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Yemen, and Afghanistan. 

In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot, Kahana detailed his plan to create “humanitarian bubbles”, safe neighborhoods where humanitarian aid will be distributed to Gaza residents without Hamas interfering. 

The idea centers around the creation of smaller humanitarian zones, which would be protected by security contractors. 

In the interview, Kahana revealed that he has already been in discussions with Israel’s Defense Ministry and the U.S. for several months. 

“I'm actually an executive contractor,” Moti Kahana said in the interview. "The company is made up of ex-combatants, veterans of elite units from the USA, England, and France.” 

Referring to controversial incidents throughout the war, Kahana noted all security forces would not be Jewish. 

“The common denominator of all of them is that they are not Jewish. When the IDF distributes the aid there will certainly be an incident, as has already happened in the past and civilians were killed. The whole world went berserk and anti-Semitism soared,” Kahana explained. “When an IDF soldier tries to help, the world shouts 'Jews killed Arabs'. I do not distribute the aid as the IDF but as a logistics company.” 

“If something happens, we will send the message to the residents of Gaza: You don't want to mess with us. I assure you that this message will soon get through. They will understand that a new sheriff has arrived in town,” Kahana stated. 

The secure neighborhoods will have “food, a bakery and a kindergarten.” 

“We are the ones who will prepare the day after in Gaza,” Kahana claimed. 

While the company plans to start with a small local pilot project, the goal is to expand the activity to the entire Gaza Strip. 

“People will be able to get in and out of the protected neighborhoods. The neighborhood will have lots of food, excellent schools,” Kahana stated. “Very quickly all of Gaza will want to look like this, and we will build another neighborhood and another neighborhood. The whole world will give money if they see that there is hope. In Baghdad, the same thing happened.” 

Kahana also said that his company would maintain constant communication with the IDF and explained that several high-level staff for the command center are “former senior Israeli officials from the Mossad, the SWAT team and more.” 

Kahana claims that the price of the initial community will be even less than President Joe Biden’s controversial Gaza Aid Pier. 

“We told the Americans, 'You spent $350 million on building a port that sank in the sea after eight weeks.' We gave the Americans a discount: $200 million for six months, and it won't sink.”