US envoy: We’re not pulling away from close Israel ties; IDF involvement in Gaza aid plan is marginal

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee rejects the notion that Washington is “pulling away” from close ties with Jerusalem or that it is trying to sidestep the Israeli government, describing the relations as very close, after a report revealed that the Trump administration is no longer demanding that Saudi Arabia recognize Israel as part of a nuclear pact with Riyadh.

“Under [US President Donald] Trump, the special relationship has never been stronger,” he tells reporters at the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

Huckabee also argues that it is “wholly inaccurate” to describe the US-led humanitarian aid initiative being launched in Gaza as Israeli, saying media reports characterizing it as such were “off the mark.”

However, officials familiar with the plan have told The Times of Israel that the Israeli government and military have been heavily involved in putting together the details of this plan, even if a new international organization — the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — will be the one managing the initiative and the IDF won’t be the one to distribute the aid.

Huckabee says Israel’s involvement will only be “on the perimeters,” in securing the aid distribution zones.

“They’re not bringing the food or distributing it,” he says, adding that the Israelis “are supportive” of the plan. “They care very much about humanitarian aid to Gaza, but they also care that Hamas doesn’t steal the aid.”

Asked by The Times of Israel how a potential ceasefire with Hamas could affect the initiative if it requires an IDF withdrawal to buffer zones, Huckabee says that “any ceasefire still requires security,” and the focus in any case will be getting the food to the Gazan population. He also says that humanitarian aid isn’t dependent on the existence of a ceasefire.

He says the key elements of the plan are to get food distributed efficiently and safely, and prevent the Hamas terror group from getting its hands on it and stealing it. He pans Hamas as “100% responsible for the horrific situation,” accusing it of “starving their people” and preventing a solution, and urges unanimous international condemnation of its “torturing of hostages in tunnels.”

He says the aid initiative involves many groups, nonprofits and agencies, none of whom he agrees to name. Huckabee also declines to disclose who will be funding the effort.

But he acknowledges that alongside the “good initial response,” many challenges remain and an “extraordinary amount of planning” is required.

He declines to give a timeline for when the aid will begin being distributed, beyond insisting that it will be hopefully very soon. However, the US ambassador acknowledges that the initiative “won’t be perfect — especially in its early days.”