Jerusalem: The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on Monday rejected an Israeli government proposal to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza through military-controlled centers, saying the plan fundamentally contradicts core humanitarian principles. “We cannot and will not engage in any operation that violates basic humanitarian principles,” NRC Secretary-General Jan Egeland said in a statement, adding that UN agencies and international aid organizations have also rejected the Israeli cabinet and military’s proposal.
According to Jordan News Agency, Egeland accused the Israeli government of seeking to “militarize, manipulate, and politicize aid” by limiting its distribution to select centers in southern Gaza, calling the approach “an attempt to control the population and a serious impediment to free humanitarian access.” He warned that the plan would force civilians to move in search of aid, worsening the famine in the besieged enclave. “For that reason, we refuse to participate in this plan,” Egeland stated.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also criticized the proposal, emphasizing that it would leave vast areas of Gaza without access to aid.