UN Chief Criticizes Limited Aid Access to Gaza, Rejects New U.S.-Backed Plan
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday criticized the limited aid reaching Gaza, saying Israel has only permitted “what amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required.” He reiterated that the U.N. will not support a newly proposed U.S.-backed aid distribution system.
“Without swift, secure, consistent, and reliable access for humanitarian aid, more lives will be lost, and the long-term consequences for the entire population will be devastating,” Guterres told reporters.
Israel claims it has allowed around 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing since ending an 11-week blockade earlier this week. However, Guterres noted that insecurity on the ground has prevented most of that aid from moving beyond the crossing. Only about one-third of the shipments have reached warehouses inside Gaza. Israel has temporarily resumed aid deliveries by the U.N. and other humanitarian organizations while a new distribution plan — led by the recently formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — is being finalized for rollout by the end of the month.
The United Nations has raised objections to the GHF plan, saying it lacks neutrality and impartiality, and has stated it will not participate.
Israel says the blockade was partly intended to prevent Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, from intercepting or misappropriating aid — a claim Hamas denies. The GHF’s proposal includes using private security contractors to deliver aid to designated secure areas, where civilian humanitarian workers would then distribute the supplies.
“The United Nations has made its position clear: We will not participate in any initiative that disregards international law or the core humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality,” Guterres emphasized. He added that the U.N. and its partners already have a viable plan for delivering aid effectively.
Guterres said that 160,000 pallets of humanitarian supplies — equivalent to nearly 9,000 truckloads — are ready for delivery. “This is my urgent plea for the people of Gaza who have endured so much: let us act correctly, and let us act immediately.”
