IDF chief and Israeli ministers clash over resuming Gaza aid

Israel’s Defense Minister vows Israeli military and private US companies will takeover future distribution of aid to Gazans, while army chief rules out use of soldiers to hand out aid  — and other ministers demand no aid be allowed into Gaza.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israeli security cabinet ministers and the chief of the Israeli military clashed on Tuesday night over plans to resume the distribution of aid to Gazans, revealing splits not only within the government but between political leaders and the IDF.

The security cabinet met to discuss plans for the future of the war in Gaza, including the possibility for massively expanding IDF operations in the coastal enclave — which since the resumption of hostilities last month have been largely limited to pinpoint ground operations and targeted airstrikes.

Ministers mulled setting a deadline for reaching a new hostage deal with the Hamas terror organization, after which the IDF could potentially seize control over the entire Gaza Strip.

In addition, the security cabinet addressed the question of the declining food, fuel, and medicine reserves in the Gaza Strip, with Israeli military intelligence experts suggesting that supplies will begin to run out in Gaza in another three weeks.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz (Likud) defended efforts to draft a plan to resume the distribution of aid in Gaza via an alternative mechanism, enlisting both IDF soldiers and private American contractors to secure the aid convoys and prevent their seizure by Hamas.

“There will no longer be aid as there had been, supporting Hamas,” Katz said. “The aid will be distributed by IDF soldiers or American companies.”

However, Katz’s position drew criticism both from some fellow ministers, who have demanded the ban on aid into Gaza continue, as well as from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who insisted that the flow of aid must ultimately resume, while emphasizing that the IDF would not be involved.

“IDF soldiers will not distribute humanitarian aid, and we will not starve the Strip,” Zamir said.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich blasted Zamir’s refusal to accept decisions by the government.

“What do you mean? You follow orders. The IDF doesn’t choose its own missions. If you’re saying you’re incapable of appointing someone, then you can be replaced.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is on an official visit to the US, and was not present at the meeting, blasted any plan to resume the flow of aid into Gaza without the release of the remaining 59 hostages.

“I see the reports about the debate over who should deliver ‘humanitarian’ aid to Gaza: well, this is a fundamentally foolish debate, because not a single gram of aid should be allowed into the Strip as long as our hostages are being held there — not by an external organization, and not by IDF soldiers,” Ben-Gvir said.

“This is the current situation, and only by maintaining it can Hamas be brought to its knees and our hostages freed through force.”

Katz downplayed the urgency of the issue, stating that there is “enough” humanitarian goods in the Gaza Strip for the time being.

“There is no need for aid to Gaza because there is enough supply in Gaza. In the future, I oppose any aid that will be linked to Hamas or that will reach Hamas, assist them, and be used as a weapon to control the population and build terror infrastructure against IDF soldiers.”

A number of ministers pushed back on the plans being drafted by the IDF to secure the distribution of aid across the Gaza Strip, arguing instead that any future aid transfers should be limited to areas under Israeli security control.

No decision was reached on the issue, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel website on Wednesday.

“The political echelon instructed the defense establishment and the IDF to deny Hamas control over humanitarian aid and any situation that could develop,” the official said.