Norwegian Refugee Council slams US-backed Gaza aid delivery plan

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has sharply criticised a plan to hand over humanitarian operations in Gaza to a US-backed private group.

Taking to X, Egeland called the move “a deliberate stalling tactic”, rejecting the notion that private security firms should be involved in delivering aid.

“The perverse idea that private security companies should take over humanitarian work is a deliberate stalling tactic,” he wrote, adding that Israel “has never given any evidence that the system that worked well and saved lives had any major flaws”.

Egeland went on to accuse Israeli authorities of wilfully obstructing lifesaving efforts.

“Gaza’s children, women, families are deliberately starved. We are prevented from saving lives,” he said.