[Israel Considering Limiting Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
Israel is considering limiting humanitarian aid to Gaza after Donald Trump comes into office later this month in an effort to deprive Hamas of resources, according to an Israeli official familiar with the matter. This move would risk exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation in the besieged strip.
Since October 7, Israel has been waging war in Gaza, attempting to dismantle Hamas militarily. Despite this, Hamas retains governing capacity through seizing aid. Relief organizations have consistently called for an increase in the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza, warning of the rising risk of famine for civilians.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only 2,205 aid trucks entered Gaza in December, excluding commercial vehicles and fuel. However, Israel disputes this number, stating that over 5,000 trucks entered the strip over the course of the month.
Before the war, an estimated 500 trucks entered Gaza daily, or 15,000 per month. As a result, 91% of the territory’s 2.1 million residents are facing high levels of acute food insecurity.
In October, the Biden administration sent a letter to the Israeli government demanding it act to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza within 30 days or risk violating US laws governing foreign military assistance. The letter included a list of demands, including allowing at least 350 trucks a day to enter Gaza while implementing combat pauses to enhance the flow and security for humanitarian convoys and movements.
However, the deadline expired without Israel meeting all of the demands. Despite this, the State Department said that while changes were needed, progress had been made, and there would be no disruption to US arms supplies. On Friday, the State Department informally notified Congress that it intends to sell $8 billion in arms to Israel.
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