Israel is exploring using international private security contractors to protect humanitarian aid deliveries in Gaza, according to one former and two current U.S. officials.
Israeli officials have broached the idea in recent weeks with senior officials from the Biden administration, which is shipping the components of a floating dock to Gaza so it can deliver aid by sea. Some U.S. officials are reluctant, however, to have American troops or security contractors on the ground in Gaza, the officials said, and are especially wary of having Americans provide armed security.
The officials said the Israeli government has approached several security companies already, but declined to specify which ones. The Israelis also brought up having other countries pay the hefty costs of the contractors, the officials said.
The Israeli government declined to comment.
The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Truck deliveries continue to be the most efficient way to get large amounts of aid into Gaza, according to a senior administration official. The Biden administration has focused on getting land routes open, but the IDF has not allowed in as many trucks as the U.S. wants. The distribution of aid in northern Gaza has also been hampered by the collapse of law and order.
Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month that during a recent visit to the region he saw 2,500 aid trucks held up outside the gates, waiting to bring supplies to Gaza.
Just before President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech last week, the White House announced that the U.S. would provide a maritime corridor for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. But the announcement caught many military officials by surprise, according to three U.S. military officials, and one week after the announcement the Pentagon still does not have a full plan for how the U.S. operation…
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