According to sources familiar with the matter, the renewed supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza, via the problematic previous model that allows deliveries into areas under Hamas control, was part of a promise made by the US to Hamas, as part of the arrangements surrounding Edan Alexander's release.
Although Hamas portrayed the release as a goodwill gesture to coincide with President Donald Trump's regional visit, and as part of direct talks between his envoy Whitcoff's team and senior Hamas figures, our sources confirm that the US pledged to press Israel to restart deliveries even before the IDF' new distribution centers were operational.
The Prime Minister's Office, in response, stated: "The report is entirely false. There is no connection between the delivery of humanitarian aid and the release of Edan Alexander."
The new distribution model
Following that commitment, Hamas disseminated partially false data about famine in Gaza, prompting UN agencies to issue warnings that supplies had run out. In response, the IDF expedited preparations for the new distribution model. However, as reported Sunday, the first of the new centers is expected to begin operations only next week.
Once this became clear, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to at least one week of continued supply transfers under the old system. The focus would be on infant formula, medical supplies, fuel for bakeries and hospital generators, and other basic foodstuffs.
Still, sources say that this arrangement may continue for more than a week, particularly in northern Gaza, until the new IDF-run distribution centers in that area become operational.
The IDF takes command of humanitarian efforts
Under the updated model, the IDF is responsible for escorting trucks to rendezvous points with representatives of international aid organizations, who will then be tasked with distributing the supplies.
There is now an attempt to prioritize aid transfers to organizations that have tried to prevent Hamas from seizing control of the supplies, such as World Central Kitchen (WCK). Efforts are also underway to deliver supplies as close as possible to temporary camps in the al-Mawasi area or to makeshift hospitals. However, all parties acknowledge that, as in the past, Hamas will likely seize a significant portion of the goods.
An Israeli official noted that Washington is aware of this problem but considers the current arrangement a necessary evil to maintain support for Israel's military operation. On the American side, diplomatic sources said the move is aimed at facilitating negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of other hostages.
