The Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu during a Christian conference in Jerusalem on Sunday, claimed: “There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals.
“We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities. They shall be there no more.” The Prime Minister added.
Netanyahu disagreed with the ongoing accusations backed by photographic evidences that Israel is conducting a campaign of starvation in Gaza, stressing further that it’s a “bold faced lie”, despite the growing humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
He added that Israel had “enabled the amount (of aid) required by international law to come in” and claimed Hamas “steals this humanitarian aid and then accuses Israel of not supplying it”.
However, U.S President Donald Trump on Monday said he disagrees with Netanyahu’s claim of ‘no starvation in Gaza’, noting the images emerging of emaciated people: “Those children look very hungry.”
Israel asserts that Hamas is the reason aid isn’t reaching Palestinians in Gaza and accuses its militants of siphoning off aid to support its rule in the territory. The U.N. denies that looting of aid is systematic and that it lessens or ends entirely when enough aid is allowed to enter Gaza.
The World Health Organisation declared on Tuesday that malnutrition is on a “dangerous trajectory” in the Gaza Strip, with 63 deaths in July. Around one in five small children in Gaza City are now acutely malnourished, according to the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa).
Palestinians say they want a full return to the U.N.-led aid distribution system that was in place throughout the war, rather than the Israeli-backed mechanism that began in May. Witnesses and health workers say Israeli forces have killed hundreds by opening fire on Palestinians trying to reach those food distribution hubs or while crowding around entering aid trucks. Israel’s military says it has fired warning shots to disperse threats.
The U.N. and partners say that the best way to bring food into Gaza is by truck, and they have called repeatedly for Israel to loosen restrictions on their entry. A truck carries roughly 19 tons of supplies.
By: Adeoye Olorunseun Elizabeth
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