Large locations appear in Gaza for the Israeli aid plan that is rejected by UN, shows images

Israel prepares a series of locations in Gaza that can be used as distribution centers for humanitarian aid in a controversially new plan, show satellite images.

The Israeli government suspended food and medicines in March in Gaza.

Ministers said that the move, which was convicted by UN, European and Central Eastern leaders, was intended to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. Israel also accused Hamas of stealing help – a statement that the group has denied.

The UN has said that the blockade has caused serious shortages of food, medicines and fuel, and warned an assessment on Monday that the population of Gaza of around 2.1 million people was with “critical risk” of famine.

Last week the US confirmed that it prepared a new system to offer the help of a series of hubs in Gaza, which would be run by private companies and protected by safety contractors and Israeli troops.

Images analyzed by BBC Verify show that land has already been cleaned up, with new roads and stenciling areas that have been built at a number of locations in South and Central Gaza in recent weeks.

Israel has not said publicly where the hubs will be, but humanitarian sources – previously informed by Israeli officials – told BBC to check whether at least four centers will be built in the southern part of Gaza and a further north near the Netzarim -Gang, one strip of the army that the site that the site to be the site to.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – an organization set up to support the plan – initially said that food, water and hygiene kits would be supplied to 1.2 million people, less than 60% of the population.

On Wednesday it announced that it would start before the end of May activities and it seemed to call on Israel to allow help through normal channels until the distribution centers were fully operational. It also revealed that auxiliary hubs were built in the north of Gaza, something that was not considered under the original plan.

UN agencies have insisted that they will not collaborate with the plan – which is in line with one that was previously approved by the Israel government – and say that it opposed fundamental humanitarian principles.

A spokesperson for the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA) accused Israel “to use food and fuel as levers, as part of a military strategy”.

“All help would be channeled by a handful of militarized hubs,” Olga Cherevko told BBC Verify.

“That kind of arrangement would cut huge areas of Gaza – in particular the most vulnerable, that cannot easily move or are otherwise marginalized – from all aid.”

In the meantime, Bushra Khalidi van Oxfam described the new plan as a “farce”.

“No logistical solution will tackle Israel’s strategy of forced displacement and starve as a war weapon. Lift the siege, open the crossings and let us do our work.”

It is understood that the proposed new system has not yet had a definitive cancellation of the Israeli government.

BBC Verifie used satellite images to identify four potential sites based on the limited information about their locations.

The sites are similar in size, shape and design as existing open -air distribution sites in Gaza, such as Erez, Erez West and Kisufim. The largest site we have looked at is bigger – more comparable to the area in Gaza at Kerem Shalom Crossing.

Our analysis of the images shows an important development at one of the locations in southwestern Gaza, close to the ruins of a village that is now an Israeli defense groups (IDF).

Satellite photos Since the beginning of April, the construction of a road there and a large enscing area, surrounded by verges – large defensive barriers made of piled -up sand – about 650 m (2,130 ft) from the border with Egypt.

An image with high resolution recorded on 8 May shows bulldozers and excavators that work on a part of the country that includes approximately 20 hectares (8 hectares). IDF -Perseverde Vehicles are located in a reinforced building nearby.

A photo taken on the spot, infected by BBC Verify, also shows the lighting that is installed on the circumference.

Further images of 11 and 12 May shows this, together with three other sites, that continue to expand. One site is about half a kilometer of a collection of eight non -warehouses and 280 meters from another large warehouse.

Stu Ray – a senior image -shaped analyst at McKenzie Intelligence – agreed that the sites were probably safe distribution centers. He noted that some of the facilities are “close to the IDF operational bases that match the IDF who wants some control over the sites”.

Analysts with another intelligence company, Maiar, said that the facilities seemed to have been designed with individual entrances for trucks to go in and out, and with other gaps in the verges that would be suitable for pedestrian entrance.

The IDF did not comment on the potential auxiliary centers when they are approached by BBC, but said that her activities in Gaza were being carried out “in accordance with international law”. COGAT – The Israeli body responsible for managing intersections to Gaza – did not respond to a request for comments.

Three of the four locations that are verifying by BBC are south of the newly created Morag -Gang of the IDF.

This is an Israeli military zone that runs over the Gaza Strip and separates the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.

Since the IDF has set up a security zone there at the beginning of April, a road of six miles (10 km) has been built over two-thirds of the width of Gaza, limited by defensive verges and strewn with IDF-outside posts.

This new road leads directly to one of the development locations that are visible in satellite images, and an existing road connects it with two more.

This entire area is subject to extensive scenery by the IDF. BBC Verify has been filmed video and images of areas in the Morag -Gang, and south of it, by Israeli troops, which show controlled demolition with the help of explosives and heavy machines and extensive destruction of buildings.

Humanitarian sources said Israeli briefings indicated that the help would enter Gaza through Kerem Shalom Crossing.

Satellite images have been shown there in recent months, with the clear expansion of its storage areas and new roads added.

Since Israel stopped new auxiliary supplies in March, the UN has repeated that it has an obligation under international law to ensure that the basic needs of the population are met.

Israel has insisted that it leaves international law and that there is no shortage of help in Gaza.