US-backed aid centres expand operations in Gaza

A third humanitarian aid distribution centre opened in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday as part of a U.S.-led initiative to provide direct assistance to Palestinian civilians, according to Israel’s Army Radio military correspondent Doron Kadosh.

The new site, located south of the Netzarim axis, complements two existing centres in the Rafah area. Each facility is designed to serve approximately 300,000 Gazans per week, with the latest centre primarily targeting the estimated 500,000 residents in central Gaza.

The aid distribution program is managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American organisation established in February. GHF operates independently of the United Nations and aims to deliver aid directly to Gazans without interference from Hamas. The facilities are secured by American contractors and remotely monitored by the Israel Defence Forces.

Security sources told Kadosh that the initiative is part of a broader effort to “break the barrier of fear” among the population. “We are already recognizing the beginning of Hamas’s deterioration and loss of control over the population,” one source said. “When the population allows itself to loot a Hamas warehouse, it is a matter of time before they do it again, but it is too early to know whether this is a widespread uprising and a trend.”

Reports on Wednesday indicated that Gazans had looted a Hamas warehouse, reinforcing the sense that public fear of the terror group may be weakening.

GHF reported that, to date, two Gazans have required medical care at the aid distribution sites—one for dehydration and another due to injuries sustained while seeking aid. The organisation emphasised that reports of deaths, mass injuries and chaos at the sites are false and originated from Hamas sources. GHF also stated that it does not have any official social media platforms and cautioned against misinformation from fraudulent accounts.

The placement of the new centre south of the Netzarim axis is also intended to encourage civilians in Gaza City and northern Gaza to relocate southward, aligning with the IDF’s strategy to depopulate the northern region. Kadosh reported that individuals crossing the Netzarim corridor to access aid would not be permitted to return north, effectively making it a “one-way ticket.”

In the past 24 hours, the two Rafah centres operated without incident, distributing a total of 387,000 meals, according to GHF. The aid distribution system is part of Israel’s broader strategy to bypass Hamas and deliver assistance directly to civilians.

JNS