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SvennoJ on 13 February 2024
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US-funded shipment of flour for Gaza held for weeks at Israeli port of Ashdod, Israeli official says

A US-funded shipment of flour destined for Gaza has been stuck at the port of Ashdod in Israel for weeks because the main United Nations agency in Gaza is listed as the recipient, according to an Israeli official. The shipment was blocked by Israeli customs under operational orders of controversial Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, despite Israel’s war cabinet having approved shipments of flour to Gaza via the Ashdod port following a request from US officials.  

Last month, US President Joe Biden publicly thanked Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allowing the flour shipment to go through the port, according to a readout of a call between the two leaders. The Israeli official said the Israeli government is committed to releasing the flour as soon as possible following discussions Tuesday involving top Israeli officials, including national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. It is not clear exactly when that would be, according to the official. 

The United States is engaging with the Israeli government to ensure flour gets to Gaza, "not just as a one-off shipment, but over for a sustained period over months," US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said. "We have a commitment from the Government of Israel to let that flour go through and we expect them to deliver on that commitment," he added.

Axios first reported that the flour shipment was being held up by Smotrich because it was destined for UNRWA.

Smotrich says he will continue to block flour shipments to Gaza

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he has decided to block the transfer of vital food assistance to Gaza, stating that it would be distributed through UNRWA, which he called “a central part” of Hamas’s “war machine”. The UN has warned that many Palestinians in Gaza are facing famine, but Israel has consistently blocked large portions of aid deliveries for the strip.

Earlier in the day, the US news outlet Axios reported that Smotrich had blocked the flour shipments after Netanyahu promised Biden they would be allowed into Gaza. In a social media post, Smotrich said he stopped the deliveries “in coordination with the prime minister”. His comments come as the US and several its allies have suspended funding for UNRWA despite warnings from humanitarian organisations that the UN agency’s work is vital for Palestinians.

Last month, the UN’s top court ordered Israel to allow adequate aid into Gaza.



US Muslim group says ‘shame on Senate’ for passing Israel aid bill

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has slammed US legislators for approving a measure that would provide $14bn in aid for Israel. “Shame on the Senate for prioritizing funding for Netanyahu’s far-right genocidal government while turning a blind eye to the war crimes it is committing against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” CAIR Director of Government Affairs Robert McCaw said in a statement. “This vote is morally reprehensible and goes against the American principles of justice and humanity.”

The bill would also allocate billions in assistance to Ukraine. Some senators, including Chris Van Hollen, had criticised the Israeli war on Gaza but voted for the measure in support of Kyiv. “This shocking vote effectively traded brown Palestinian lives for white Ukrainian lives – an act that should be unequivocally condemned,” McCaw said.

I doubt the senate actually cares about Ukrainian lives any more than Palestinian, it's just that Israel is the US' foothold in the Middle-East while Russia is the mortal enemy. If they actually cared about Ukraine the Ukraine aid would have passed long ago without needing to be tied in a package deal.

Slow down one genocide while speeding up another.



Amnesty says countries sending arms to Israel contributing to war crimes

The human rights watchdog calls on countries to stop sending weapons to Israel, stressing that arming the Israeli military puts them at risk of complicity in human rights violations. “By providing arms to Israel, EU states and the US are violating their responsibility to prevent genocide and contributing to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the group said in a social media post.