In a development that could dramatically reshape aid delivery in the embattled Gaza Strip, Israel is seriously considering turning to private security contractors to get crucial supplies to desperate civilians. The unprecedented proposal, which sources say could involve British special forces veterans, comes as the UN’s primary relief agency in the area faces a potential ban by the Israeli government.
Worsening Crisis Demands Unconventional Solutions
The humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly the north, has deteriorated sharply after nearly three relentless weeks of bombardment by Israel, which calls the campaign an anti-Hamas operation. Over a million residents are going without food, according to relief groups, as aid fails to reach those in dire need. The few aid convoys that do get through risk coming under fire.
It’s against this harrowing backdrop that Israel’s security cabinet discussed privatizing some aid delivery on Sunday. The move would be a radical departure from leaving the task to the UN, NGOs, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Veteran aid workers are alarmed by the prospect.
There’s a reason humanitarians don’t operate this way. Militarized aid delivery was always a disaster.
Jeremy Konyndyk, President of Refugees International
The Unrwa Question
The cabinet talks come days before the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, is expected to vote on bills that would prohibit the UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) from working in the country. Unrwa has been a lifeline for Gaza’s 2 million people, more than half of whom depend on it for food, healthcare, and schooling. Its exit would leave an enormous void.
“Our staff report they cannot find food, water or medical care,” Unrwa chief Philippe Lazzarini recently posted online, adding that corpses were left lying in the streets. “In northern Gaza, people are just waiting to die.”
Enter the Contractors
Among those vying to fill any gap is Moti Kahana, an Israeli-American businessman. His company, Global Delivery Company (GDC), is bidding for the Gaza aid contract and has engaged an unnamed British firm that employs former UK special forces. GDC proposes establishing secure “gated community”-style distribution points.
The idea is that it’s gated, it’s safe. We just provide the security and people run their own lives.
Moti Kahana, Global Delivery Company
But many aid professionals are skeptical about injecting a privatized, militarized element into an already volatile environment. They argue it could put recipient communities at greater risk by associating them with an armed presence.
Alternatives Falter
The turn toward private contractors suggests Israel’s other options have failed to pan out. Appeals for neighboring countries to provide peacekeepers have met a tepid response. An earlier Israeli trial to recruit local Gazans to distribute aid ended with Hamas executing key participants, according to sources.
An Emerging Trend?
If Israel does press ahead with privatization, it could set a precedent for aid delivery in other hot spots where states are unwilling to deploy their own armed forces to secure humanitarian access. But critics fear it may further undermine humanitarian principles and put civilians at risk. As one analyst put it: “Gaza cannot afford another failed experiment.”
