AhlulBayt News Agency: A prominent human rights lawyer and former director of the New York Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Craig Mokhiber, has condemned the deployment of armed US mercenaries assisting the Israeli regime in Gaza, calling it unlawful under international law.
In a statement on Monday, Mokhiber said: “American mercenaries landed in Tel Aviv to pretend to hand out aid before cocking their guns.” He argued that their mere presence implicates them in crimes of aggression, collective punishment, and the denial of the right to self-determination.
Mokhiber further stated that framing their presence as part of a humanitarian mission does not absolve them of individual accountability. He warned that such actions may constitute the war crime of perfidy, making them part of the mechanism of repression for personal monetary gain.
Media reports indicate that a US-backed humanitarian organization plans to begin aid distribution in Gaza by the end of May after discussions with Israeli authorities.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-supported NGO, has requested Israel to secure distribution points in northern Gaza, and Israel has agreed.
An Israeli official recently stated that the plan includes the conquest of Gaza, holding territories, and moving the population south for their protection.
Critics argue that forcing civilians into militarized zones to collect rations endangers lives, including those of humanitarian workers, while deepening forced displacement.
Analysts, activists, and aid agencies have described the US-Israeli aid plan as a mockery of humanitarian law.
In a statement on Wednesday, Gisha, an Israeli NGO, asserted that the aid plan is designed to bring about the forced displacement of the population.
International aid agencies have warned that Israeli control over aid distribution in Gaza, including the US-backed proposal, will worsen the suffering of Palestinians.
Israel’s far-right ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has embraced Trump’s proposals to permanently displace Palestinians and convert Gaza into a seaside real-estate development.
Arab states have rejected the plan, while Hamas has condemned it as ethnic cleansing.
Most Gazans have been displaced at least once during the 19-month war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel blocked all aid to Gaza on March 2, before resuming its military campaign on March 18 after ceasefire talks collapsed.
During a roundtable discussion in Qatar, US President Donald Trump described Gaza as a territory of death and destruction and proposed turning it into a “freedom zone” under US involvement.
Trump remarked that aerial images show widespread destruction, stating: “There’s practically no building standing. It’s not like you’re trying to save something.”
Despite global condemnation, Israel has approved a plan that could lead to the capture of the entire Gaza Strip.
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