Photo by
Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL on 19 January, 2025
Israel Eyeing Civilian Companies to Eventually Distribute Gaza Aid
Jerusalem, 16 April, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel will resume humanitarian aid to Gaza but only through civilian companies to prevent Hamas from seizing supplies. He subsequently clarified his comments to stress that the aid would not resume until a civilian mechanism for distribution is in place.
“The goal is clear,” Katz said in a statement. “We are making every effort to bring about the release of all the hostages within the [U.S. envoy Steven] Witkoff framework, and building a bridge toward the defeat of Hamas in the future.”
In a separate statement issued shortly afterward, Katz said, “In the current reality, no one is going to bring any humanitarian aid into Gaza, and no one is preparing to bring in any such aid.”
He added, “I emphasized that regarding the future, a mechanism for using civilian companies must be built, to not allow Hamas access [to aid] in the future.”
Katz emphasized that the policy shift is part of a broader strategy that includes “stopping humanitarian aid, which undermines Hamas’s control over the population,” and creating a new system for aid distribution independent of the terror group. He said Israel Defense Forces operations continue, with targeted strikes on Hamas operatives and infrastructure, evacuations of civilians from combat zones, and large-scale attacks ahead of ground maneuvers.
“So far, hundreds of thousands of residents have been evacuated and tens of percent of the territory has been added to the security zones,” Katz said, referencing the expanded buffer zone along the Gaza border, which he claims now covers around 30% of the Strip.
According to Katz, Hamas faces mounting pressure to agree to a hostage deal. He also pointed to growing tensions between the group and Gaza’s civilian population. Notably, he said Egypt is now conditioning any comprehensive agreement to end the war on “the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza.”
The announcement was swiftly condemned by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who called the move a “historic mistake.” Writing on X, he said, “As long as our hostages are dying in the tunnels, there is no reason for a gram of food or aid to enter Gaza.” He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz to reverse course, warning the policy would “harm our ability to defeat Hamas and return our hostages safely.”
The Press Service of Israel reported in March that despite a suspension of humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries, Hamas continued to enrich itself through a system of vouchers provided to Gaza residents.
Israel suspended aid deliveries at the beginning of March after Hamas rejected a proposal by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to extend the ceasefire through the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday.
Israel estimates that enough food, water, fuel and medicine entered Gaza during the temporary ceasefire to last for five months.
Since mid-November, Hamas and criminal gangs associated with the terror group have stepped up their stealing of deliveries of food, water, medicine and other humanitarian supplies. At one point, 85% of all trucks entering the Strip were hijacked.
In September, Palestinian sources told TPS-IL that Hamas was charging $800 for donated tents while sacks of flour and rice donated by the West were being sold for $700 and $500 respectively.
At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead.
