Israel’s Controversial Policy on Humanitarian Aid to Gaza: Facts vs. Netanyahu’s Claims
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently asserted in an interview with News Finder that Israel allows as much humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as required, a statement disputed by numerous aid organizations and even contradicting his past declarations.
In response to criticism over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which was launched after Hamas’ October 7 attacks resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 250 hostages, Netanyahu attempted to shift the blame away from his government to Hamas by accusing the group of looting relief supplies.
However, Netanyahu’s policy towards humanitarian aid in Gaza has faced intense scrutiny and controversy. The following analysis examines the Israeli leader’s statements regarding his country’s aid policy and compares them to the facts presented by aid organizations.
“Our policy is to not have famine, but to be the entry of humanitarian support as needed, and as much as is needed,” Netanyahu told News Finder. However, his past statements have contradicted this claim. In January 2023, he stated at a press conference that “We provide minimal humanitarian aid.”
Israel’s military operation in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 31,000 people, more than 70% of whom were women and children. The health ministry in Gaza reports widespread destruction, mass displacement, and a looming famine.
The United Nations, contact Union, and Israel’s closest ally, the United States, have all criticized Israel’s policies and urged Netanyahu to allow more aid into the besieged enclave.
Despite calls for increased humanitarian aid, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) has imposed arbitrary and contradictory criteria on relief entering the territory. Aid workers and the UN report that the process is long, complicated, and arduous.
Trucks carrying aid must undergo three layers of inspection before they can enter Gaza, and lines for inspection have led to bottlenecks at the Rafah crossing. The list of rejected items only grows, and even when aid enters, Israeli bombardment, road damage from airstrikes, communications blackouts, and mass displacement hinder distribution within the enclave.
Last month, Israeli forces fired on a UN convoy carrying food supplies in central Gaza before ultimately blocking the trucks from progressing to the northern part of the territory. Israel has also been working to dismantle the UN’s agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) and accused some of its staff of being involved in Hamas’ October 7 attack.
Netanyahu claimed that Israel has created “alternative routes” to deliver aid, including airdrops, shipments by sea, and land routes. However, the small number of trucks entering Gaza due to Israeli restrictions remains the main problem hampering humanitarian aid.
An average of 95 aid trucks per day entered Gaza between October 10, 2022, and February 1, 2023, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent – down from 500 trucks a day before the war through the Rafah crossing alone. Netanyahu claims that Israel is increasing the number of trucks each day, but UNRWA reports that the volume of aid into Gaza has been fluctuating.
Netanyahu also accused Hamas of looting incoming aid, but there is no concrete evidence to support this claim. The UN and other aid organizations have reported instances of their trucks being looted, but they did not attribute the blame to Hamas. Instead, the looting is attributed to extreme levels of hunger and the breakdown of social order in Gaza.
In conclusion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims regarding his country’s humanitarian aid policy in Gaza contradict the facts reported by numerous aid organizations and even his past statements. The process for delivering humanitarian aid to the enclave is long, complicated, and fraught with obstacles imposed by Israel, hindering relief efforts and contributing to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
