Associated Press: Gaza aid operations are at risk while reducing the financing of the US Development Agency – the seventh day

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The American Associated Press news agency warned that the financing discounts imposed by the US administration on the American Agency for International Development threaten to stop the small gains achieved by relief workers in combating the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The US Agency said – in the context of a report published today, Friday, that the discounts imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump on the United States Agency for International Development caused the freezing of hundreds of millions of dollars from the contractual payments of assistance groups, which made them pay their pockets to maintain a fragile ceasefire, according to officials from the US Humanitarian Agency.

The Associated Press indicated that the US Agency for International Development was supposed to be funded by a lot of assistance to Gaza with the progress of the ceasefire, and the Trump administration agreed to more than $ 383 million on January 31 to achieve this purpose, but since then there have been no confirmed payments for any partners in the Middle East.

Two senior officials in relief organizations confirmed that they did not receive any of the promised money, after spending millions of dollars on supplies and services, and said they could not bear the costs of continuing assistance operations indefinitely.

Some organizations have already reported the demobilization of workers and reducing operations, according to internal information from the United States Agency for International Development.

“The United States has identified very specific and concrete obligations to hand over aid under the ceasefire, but now there is no way to fulfill it as long as the freezing of the financing exists,” said Jeremy Konndic, head of the International Refugee Organization and a former US Agency for International Development.

It is noteworthy that the American Agency for International Development was one of the largest large -scale campaign goals launched by Trump and the Ministry of Governmental Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk to reduce the extent of federal government expenses.

Before Trump took office, the US Agency for International Development had approximately $ 446 million to distribute to partner organizations in Gaza in 2025, but after Trump freezed on global foreign aid, the agency’s team in Gaza had to make a waiver to ensure the continued flow of funds allocated to Gaza aid, and they received approval on January 31 to secure more than $ 383 million in financing.

About 40 million dollars were later reduced under the management of money not to provide aid in the form of direct cash aid.

Then the American Agency for International Development signed contracts with eight partner organizations, including prominent NGOs and United Nations agencies, to give them money to dump supplies and services in Gaza, but the organizations did not receive the promised payments, even though they actually spent millions, expected to compensate the US Agency for International Development.

For example, the International Medical Authority received $ 12 million to continue operations in two hospitals in Gaza, and now the authority has requested to pay more than a million dollars, because the freezing forced the organization to lay off about 700 of its employees and provide only basic services in hospitals.

A former employee of the International Medical Authority said that the program, which provides life -saving treatment for malnutrition, may be almost frozen due to lack of funds.

Meanwhile, letters of termination of contracts between the United States Agency for International Development and partners in Gaza were also sent to organizations that were providing shelter, protecting children and logistical support in the aid process in Gaza, according to an official at the US Agency.

These letters order organizations to “immediately stop” all activities and avoid additional spending.

In addition to the freezing of spending, officials say the US Agency for International Development has suffered from internal chaos and the introduction of arbitrary regulations since the new American administration took office.

During the first stage that lasted 42 days of the ceasefire, Israel had to allow at least 600 trucks of aid to enter Gaza daily, in addition to 60 thousand temporary homes and 200 thousand tents.

The United States Agency for International Development was supposed to buy 400 temporary houses and Gaza intervene by the end of the first phase of the agreement, and more than 5,200 other homes during the next stage, but this number was reduced to a little more than 1000 homes.

The United States Agency for International Development was unable to purchase mobile homes due to the new policies imposed, which require additional purchases.

“With the fluctuations of the situation for the United States Agency for International Development, the United States risks its loss of influence,” said Dave Harden, former Assistant Director of the American Agency for International Development for Democracy, Conflict, Humanitarian Aid and Agency’s long -term director of work in the Palestinian territories.

Harden added, “American aid to the Palestinians was never equal to American aid to Israel and was not completely balanced, but it always gave us a seat on the table, and it always helped us to hold real discussions with the Palestinians and the Israelis about what the future might carry, but now we are not simply not on the table, and for this I think the ceasefire is fragile.”

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