The United Nations and leading humanitarian agencies have firmly rejected Israel’s latest proposal for aid distribution in Gaza, warning that it would intensify civilian suffering and violate fundamental humanitarian principles.

The plan, which suggests confining aid to Israeli-supervised “humanitarian zones” in Rafah, has been condemned as a veiled strategy for coercive displacement. A source from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described it as “a mechanism for managing starvation, not ending it,” affirming that OCHA would not participate in measures that deepen the humanitarian catastrophe or weaponise aid.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) called the plan “unworkable,” stressing it could lead to mass forced displacement and further chaos. UNRWA and the World Food Programme (WFP) both demanded the full reopening of all crossings to allow unrestricted and secure delivery of aid across Gaza. WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa denounced the proposal as one that “reinforces starvation rather than alleviates it.”

The European Union’s delegation to Palestine also weighed in, with spokesperson Shadi Othman labelling the Israeli proposal “inhumane and unacceptable.” He warned that obstructing aid violates international humanitarian law and could amount to a war crime.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) echoed these concerns, declaring Gaza’s humanitarian system “collapsed,” and urging the immediate lifting of the blockade to allow life-saving assistance to reach those in need.

As Gaza faces acute shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies, international pressure is mounting to end the siege and restore unimpeded humanitarian access.