• The UN will not participate in a US-backed aid distribution plan due to neutrality concerns.
• Israel has pledged to facilitate the humanitarian effort without direct involvement in aid delivery.
• Israeli blockade has left Gaza without humanitarian aid since March 2, exacerbating a hunger crisis.
• The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is criticized for potentially fueling further violence.
• The UN has its own operational plan ready to distribute aid in Gaza independently.

The United Nations has declared it will not take part in a US-backed humanitarian operation in Gaza, stressing that the plan does not align with its principles of “impartiality, neutrality, and independence.” UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq reiterated that the organization will refrain from participating in the initiative, expected to be implemented by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation by the end of May, as it raises concerns regarding its objectivity, according to trtglobal and aljazeera.

In response to the UN's decision, Israeli officials have stated their readiness to facilitate humanitarian deliveries while not being directly involved in the distribution process. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon articulated that their role would be purely supportive, enabling operations led by the US-backed foundation, highlighting the complexity of aid logistics amidst ongoing conflict, according to Reuters and aljazeera.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has grown increasingly dire, with a global hunger monitor warning of possible starvation for half a million residents, as Israel has blocked all humanitarian assistance since March 2. This blockade has led to severe shortages in food, water, and medical supplies affecting over a quarter of Gaza's population, according to aljazeera and Reuters.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's plan has faced scrutiny, with critics labeling it a “fig leaf for further violence and displacement” of Palestinians. Calls for alternative methods to deliver aid, which do not allow for Hamas interference, have emerged after Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged criticisms of the plan while expressing openness to alternative suggestions, as mentioned by Reuters and aljazeera.