US mulls replacing controversial GHF aid group with 'Humanitarian Belt' system

The United States is studying a proposal to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza that would replace the controversial, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to multiple media reports. 

The plan, called the "Gaza Humanitarian Belt", would establish between 12 and 16 aid centres along the line to which Israeli forces have withdrawn inside Gaza, serving residents on both sides of the line.

The centres would act as the "backbone" of the proposal, Reuters reported, citing officials familiar with the document.

According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the proposal also includes "voluntary reconciliation facilities for militants to surrender their weapons and receive amnesty", as well as forward bases "for the forces expected to assist the international stabilisation force in disarming Gaza".

The plan states that "the United Nations and NGOs in Gaza will be tasked with using the platform operated by the Civil-Military Coordination Centre and distributing goods from the hubs".

The document sets an ambitious goal of directing all aid deliveries through these centres within 90 days. It also notes that "the Civil-Military Coordination Centre will monitor and ensure the security of convoys through drone surveillance to prevent Hamas from intercepting trucks".

Before the ceasefire, both Israel and the United States had sought for the United Nations to coordinate aid through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

However, UN agencies and several humanitarian organisations opposed that arrangement, questioning the foundation’s neutrality, while calling into question its treatment of Palestinian civilians. One senior international aid official, cited by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, said the description of the new relief hubs was "deeply concerning because they resemble the sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in areas under Israeli military control".

A US official told Reuters that the proposal "reflects concepts the United States is studying", but stressed that "it is not the only model for a relief operation". The official declined to speculate on whether the plan would be implemented.

Another humanitarian official told the paper that the proposal was "prematurely circulated" and did not reflect "any current decisions or policies", describing it instead as a "white paper suggesting an option for further study".

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also reported that the proposal would either absorb or replace the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation with other organisations, including the Emirati/Moroccan Red Cross and Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian aid group.

"Samaritan’s Purse has received an offer to participate in the US government’s plan to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza,” the group’s spokesperson, Stephen Sneed, told Reuters. "We don’t yet know the details, as the plan is still under development."

A spokesperson for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said its long-term goal "is to continue providing assistance as long as it is needed", confirming that it has enough funding to operate until the end of November.

The US-backed foundation has temporarily halted its operations, having last distributed aid 13 days ago, while dismantling one of its four aid sites.

The report comes amid renewed diplomatic friction over the future of Gaza’s governance and the roles of regional powers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week that Israel "will not agree to Turkish soldiers in post-war Gaza," according to The Jerusalem Post. He also said Israel would not accept the Palestinian Authority’s participation in Gaza unless it undergoes "fundamental change".

The remarks follow Ankara’s own announcement of plans to help administer Gaza through a new coordination framework.

A Turkish Defence Ministry source told France 24 that "talks are continuing on the task force that will work in Gaza. The modalities of this are not yet clear". The ministry confirmed it had established a civil-military coordination centre to manage the country’s involvement in the Gaza Task Force.

Analysts say the latest US and Turkish initiatives are unfolding against a backdrop of widening Turkish-Israeli tension over Gaza and Syria. Turkey has condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocidal, while Israel views Ankara’s ambitions in the enclave and northern Syria with deep suspicion.

The two countries also back opposing approaches to post-war reconstruction.

Turkey seeks to position itself as a central mediator and humanitarian actor, whereas Israel opposes any Turkish military or security footprint in Gaza and prefers to limit Turkish influence in Syrian affairs.