Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have ordered the IDF to come up with a plan, within 48 hours, to prevent the Hamas terrorist organization from stealing humanitarian aid in Gaza.
“Following intelligence received today indicating that Hamas is once again seizing humanitarian aid entering northern Gaza and stealing it from civilians, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister have instructed the IDF to present within 48 hours an action plan to prevent Hamas from taking over the aid,” the two leaders said in a statement released early Thursday.
In the meantime, humanitarian aid deliveries to the enclave – at least those brought in by international aid organizations other than the US-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — have been halted, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12 News.
GHF, an American initiative, began providing weekly food boxes for Gaza’s civilian families last month, bypassing Hamas. The project has been very successful despite intensive Hamas efforts to block Gazans from reaching the distribution points and accessing the aid.
The move follows a threat by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to pull out of the government coalition if Israel does not take action to stop aid from reaching Hamas. “A country that succeeded in subduing Iran knows how to do the same in Gaza!” Smotrich declared in a post on the X social media platform.
Earlier this week (June 23-24), 150 humanitarian aid trucks carrying food, baby food and formula, medical supplies and medications, were transferred to northern Gaza via the Zikim Crossing, and to southern Gaza via the Kerem Shalom Crossing, according to the IDF Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
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150 humanitarian aid trucks carrying food, baby food and formula, medical supplies and medications, were transferred to the northern Gaza Strip via the Zikim Crossing and to the southern Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing over the last two days (June 23-24).… pic.twitter.com/LxfBEKow8r— COGAT (@cogatonline) June 25, 2025
However, aid distribution points in Gaza City are fully controlled by Hamas, according to the Abu Ali Express news outlet.
“The aid reportedly ‘arrived safely’ at warehouses within Gaza City (specifically, in a hangar belonging to the ‘ANERA’ organization). Hamas militants have firm control over Gaza City itself,” Abu Ali writes.
“Using a large number of ‘convoy security guards’ without visible Hamas insignia and branded as “clan members” – who appear to be a civilian presence (but are in fact Hamas operatives/loyalists) – the convoys entered directly into an area fully controlled by Hamas,” he adds.
It’s important to note that are no American GHF-controlled food distribution points in northern Gaza, due to efforts to persuade civilians to move south, out of harm’s way.
There are four GHF aid distribution points further south: three in Khan Younis and one in an area south of Gaza City, along the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.
Aid deliveries to Gaza are to remain suspended until the plan to stop theft by Hamas is presented to the government.
