Tue May 27 01:43:43 UTC 2025: **Headline: New U.S.-Backed Aid System Launches in Gaza Amidst Continued Violence and Controversy**

**Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip – May 27, 2025:** A new aid delivery system, backed by the United States, began operating in Gaza on Monday, May 26, 2025, aiming to distribute desperately needed food to Palestinians facing severe shortages after nearly three months of an Israeli blockade. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, comprised of former humanitarian, government, and military officials, is taking over aid handling despite strong objections from the United Nations and other aid organizations.

The launch coincided with intensified Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which killed at least 52 Palestinians, including 36 who died in a strike on a school-turned-shelter. The Israeli military claims it targeted militants operating from the school.

The Foundation stated that truckloads of food have reached its distribution hubs, with plans to increase the flow of aid daily. However, the locations of these hubs and the criteria for selecting recipients remain unclear. The group aims to reach one million Palestinians by the end of the week, around half of Gaza’s population.

The UN and other aid groups criticize the new system, alleging that Israel is weaponizing food and that the new system will not be effective. They maintain that the UN is better equipped to manage the aid and ensure it reaches those who need it most. Israel insists on the alternative plan to prevent Hamas from diverting aid.

Hamas has warned Palestinians against cooperating with the new aid system, viewing it as furthering Israeli objectives.

The situation remains highly volatile, with Israel continuing its military offensive in Gaza, seeking to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack. The conflict has resulted in devastating consequences, with approximately 54,000 Palestinians killed according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and vast areas of Gaza destroyed, displacing 90% of the population.

Tensions further escalated on Monday as ultranationalist Israelis marched in Jerusalem, celebrating Israel’s 1967 conquest of the city, with some chanting anti-Arab slogans. A group also stormed a UN compound in east Jerusalem, intensifying the already strained situation.

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