U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on Friday that President Donald Trump is pressing forward with his plans to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Speaking at a press conference outside the embassy in Jerusalem, Huckabee said that private firms, not Israel, would be tasked with distributing the aid.
“President Trump has made very clear that one of the most urgent things that needs to happen is humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Huckabee said. “President Trump wants food distributed in Gaza safely and efficiently.”
Israel will be involved in providing military security but will not be tasked with bringing the food into Gaza or distributing it, Huckabee said.
“Their role will remain on the perimeter as is necessary to make sure that those who are bringing the food in and distributing the food are kept safe and out of harm’s way in the midst of a war zone,” the ambassador said.
According to Huckabee, Israel is “supportive” of the plan.
HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS
“The Israelis are supportive of this program, they want it to happen, but they are not operating it,” Huckabee said. “That’s important because there are some entities that would not want to participate if they thought it was an IDF operation.”
The announcement drew criticism from Israelis who say the move undermines Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian deliveries in March in order to prevent Hamas from stealing and profiting from the goods, and to pressure the terror group to release the 59 remaining hostages.
“The next factor is that all of this be done in a way where Hamas cannot get its hands on it,” Huckabee said. “Nobody is interested in helping Hamas because Hamas has taken food that was intended to help very desperate citizens and stolen it from them, sold it on the black market, and then took the money to buy weaponry to murder more people.”
Huckabee added that the aid mission is not a condition of any possible ceasefire deals and that it “will not depend on anything other than our ability to get the food into Gaza.”
RUBIO ORDERS PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE TO FOLD INTO ISRAEL’S JERUSALEM EMBASSY
Several partners will be included in the operation, including both governments and NGOs with several already agreeing to be involved. Huckabee declined to name the partners because their exact involvement is still being determined.
“There has been a good initial response,” he said. “There are nonprofit organizations that will be a part of the leadership.”
Huckabee said that the plan is a “logistical challenge” and will “not be perfect in the early days,” adding that more details will be revealed in days to come.
TRUMP: THREE MORE HOSTAGES DIE IN GAZA, DROPPING TOTAL TO 21 ALIVE
The plan so far includes delivering food in a way that attempts to keep Hamas from taking control of it by creating distribution centers that could initially feed “perhaps over a million people” before being beefed up to feed the entire population.
On Sunday, Israel approved an expanded ground operation plan that includes plans to conquer and retain more areas of the Gaza Strip. The plan, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” will go into effect if Hamas fails to make an agreement with Israel by the end of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East next week, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16, the second foreign trip of his second term.
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U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on Friday that President Donald Trump is pressing forward with his plans to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Speaking at a press conference outside the embassy in Jerusalem, Huckabee said that private firms, not Israel, would be tasked with distributing the aid.
“President Trump has made very clear that one of the most urgent things that needs to happen is humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Huckabee said. “President Trump wants food distributed in Gaza safely and efficiently.”
Israel will be involved in providing military security but will not be tasked with bringing the food into Gaza or distributing it, Huckabee said.
“Their role will remain on the perimeter as is necessary to make sure that those who are bringing the food in and distributing the food are kept safe and out of harm’s way in the midst of a war zone,” the ambassador said.
According to Huckabee, Israel is “supportive” of the plan.
HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS
“The Israelis are supportive of this program, they want it to happen, but they are not operating it,” Huckabee said. “That’s important because there are some entities that would not want to participate if they thought it was an IDF operation.”
The announcement drew criticism from Israelis who say the move undermines Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian deliveries in March in order to prevent Hamas from stealing and profiting from the goods, and to pressure the terror group to release the 59 remaining hostages.
“The next factor is that all of this be done in a way where Hamas cannot get its hands on it,” Huckabee said. “Nobody is interested in helping Hamas because Hamas has taken food that was intended to help very desperate citizens and stolen it from them, sold it on the black market, and then took the money to buy weaponry to murder more people.”
Huckabee added that the aid mission is not a condition of any possible ceasefire deals and that it “will not depend on anything other than our ability to get the food into Gaza.”
RUBIO ORDERS PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE TO FOLD INTO ISRAEL’S JERUSALEM EMBASSY
Several partners will be included in the operation, including both governments and NGOs with several already agreeing to be involved. Huckabee declined to name the partners because their exact involvement is still being determined.
“There has been a good initial response,” he said. “There are nonprofit organizations that will be a part of the leadership.”
Huckabee said that the plan is a “logistical challenge” and will “not be perfect in the early days,” adding that more details will be revealed in days to come.
TRUMP: THREE MORE HOSTAGES DIE IN GAZA, DROPPING TOTAL TO 21 ALIVE
The plan so far includes delivering food in a way that attempts to keep Hamas from taking control of it by creating distribution centers that could initially feed “perhaps over a million people” before being beefed up to feed the entire population.
On Sunday, Israel approved an expanded ground operation plan that includes plans to conquer and retain more areas of the Gaza Strip. The plan, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” will go into effect if Hamas fails to make an agreement with Israel by the end of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East next week, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16, the second foreign trip of his second term.
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