Gallant: IDF ‘securing aid distribution’ is a ‘euphemism’ for military rule in Gaza
Ousted defense chief warns Israel will pay ‘in blood’ for government’s failure to set up Hamas alternative, as cabinet reportedly set to approve new aid policy to address looting
Ousted defense minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday that Israel’s taking security responsibility for the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip would set it down the path of military governance in the enclave at an unacceptable cost to the lives of soldiers.
“The discussion about ‘distributing food to residents of Gaza by private companies with IDF security’ is a euphemism for the start of a military government,” Gallant wrote on X.
“The price will be paid in blood by IDF soldiers, and it will be paid by the State of Israel,” he said, saying the government’s choice of priorities is wrongheaded and “will lead to the neglect of more important security tasks.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this week he has directed the Israel Defense Forces to come up with new solutions to ensure the safe distribution of aid in Gaza, and reportedly met with top officials yesterday to discuss the issue.
The discussions come after 100 aid trucks were violently looted on Saturday, in what the United Nations called the worst of many such incidents “in terms of volume” since the war began last year with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. UN officials have not said who ambushed the humanitarian convoy over the weekend; Israel has previously accused Hamas and criminal groups of hijacking aid trucks.
The prime minister’s preferred solution to the looting is reportedly to have private organizations distribute the aid under Israeli military protection. Cabinet members are expected to meet on Thursday to approve an “outside company” for such an arrangement, according to Channel 12 news.
The policy would begin with a “pilot program” in northern Gaza, the report said, in either Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, or Jabalia.
It could raise questions about Israel’s status in Gaza under international law, including potential claims it is occupying the territory, the report noted.
The network did not specify who would fund the private aid distribution, which Israel has proposed having the United Arab Emirates pick up the tab for. The UAE, however, has repeatedly stressed it will not do so without the involvement of a reformed Palestinian Authority and Israel committing to a pathway to Palestinian statehood — which Netanyahu and members of his government have ruled out.
In his post on Wednesday, Gallant charged that “everything depends on the preparation ahead of time of an alternative entity to replace the IDF in taking over the territory — without that, we are on the way to a military government.
“The aid will be distributed by private organizations, the IDF will guard the organizations, and we will all pay the price,” Gallant wrote, adding, “A military government in Gaza is not a part of the goals of the war, but a dangerous and irresponsible political act.”
Gallant’s criticism came a few weeks after Netanyahu fired him from his role as defense minister, citing a mutual lack of trust. According to Gallant, he was sacked over disagreements with Netanyahu about the need to plan for a post-Hamas government in Gaza and the trade-offs involved in a hostage deal with the terror group, among other matters
The then-defense minister had publicly warned that if Israel did not replace Hamas with an alternative government, it would be forced to either accept the return of Hamas rule, or to govern the strip itself militarily, both unacceptable outcomes, and he had urged Netanyahu to declare that Israel would establish a civilian, non-Hamas government there.
Far-right cabinet members on Wednesday denounced Gallant for his comments, accusing the ex-defense minister of obstructing the fight against Hamas, and saying his comments vindicated Netanyahu’s decision to fire him.
“Tonight it was proven once again how well the Prime Minister did when he fired the failed Defense Minister Gallant,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared on X, saying “IDF control over the humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza is necessary in order to dismantle Hamas” and remove its last vestiges of control.
Ben Gvir, who leads the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, noted that he supported “humanitarian [aid] only in exchange for humanitarian [aid],” a phrase he has used to insist that any assistance to Gazan civilians be contingent on Hamas releasing the Israeli hostages it took captive in its attack last year.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the far-right Religious Zionist party, accused Gallant of allowing Hamas “to maintain its rule” in Gaza.
“For a whole year, Gallant imagined a non-existent ‘alternative entity’ that would do the work for us, and actually stopped us from taking responsibility for the distribution of humanitarian aid,” Smotrich said.
“He charged that when no alternative entity appeared, the now-ousted defense minister “allowed Hamas to take control of the humanitarian aid and maintain its rule in the Strip, resulting in the continuation of the war.”
“It is not the delivery of humanitarian aid that will lead to casualties, nor will it be the military government, should one be necessary,” the far-right minister continued. “Instead, it will be the fear of total victory and of the seizure of territory that is necessary for security.”
Both Ben Gvir and Smotrich have been vocal proponents of Israeli rule in the Gaza Strip, calling for the re-establishment of Israeli settlements there and opposing deals that would ensure the release of the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire with Hamas.
Earlier Wednesday, Smotrich justified the economic impact that imposing a military government in Gaza would have on Israel, claiming in an interview with Kan Radio that it would merely cost “a few hundred million shekels.”
