US ambassador to Israel repeats disputed claims about Gaza aid
Mike Huckabee has claimed that the “real story of starvation in Gaza” lies not with the civilian population but with captives being held by Hamas.
“Will France, UK, & Canada condemn this?” the US ambassador to Israel wrote on X. “Why isn’t the massive amounts of food going in not shared with the very well fed members of Hamas?”
Huckabee also shared a graphic that stated “there is no policy of starvation in Gaza,” and that “Israel does not limit the amount of aid entering Gaza and has, in the past, facilitated the entry of up to 700 aid trucks per day, depending on UN and NGO supply.”
However, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has previously said that between 500 and 600 trucks of aid are required each day to meet minimum needs, yet that figure has rarely been reached.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global hunger monitoring body, has also warned that the “worst-case scenario of famine” is now unfolding in Gaza. UN experts have accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war – a view echoed by rights groups, including Human Rights Watch.
The graphic shared by Huckabee further claimed that “UN-led aid distribution has stagnated after an initial increase, and the vast majority of it is diverted by Hamas.”
A USAID assessment in July found little evidence to support the assertion that humanitarian aid is being widely diverted by Palestinian armed groups.
Same playbook all throughout the genocide. Let in a bit of aid, make it impossible to distribute the aid, blame the UN and Hamas for not distributing / looting the aid.
Yes Israel has allowed sufficient aid in during the last ceasefire, the first couple days at least before Israel started harassing distribution and blocking aid again. That shows it's very much possible and it's all political will to prevent that from happening again.
This was before the ceasefire in Februrari, touching at most 200 trucks per month a few times.
Here's Cogat's version
Counting half trucks if you compare the two (Where it touches 300 on the UNWRA chart it touches 600 on the COGAT chart) but showing that indeed it was no problem to let up to 1,200 (600 full trucks) into Gaza during the ceasefire. And then total blockade with currently COGAT claiming 100 trucks a day are passing the border. (out of 600 needed)
Israel allowing 14 percent of daily required aid to enter Gaza, GMO data shows
Gaza’s Government Media Office has told Al Jazeera that only 674 aid trucks have entered Gaza since Israel eased restrictions on July 27, averaging just 84 trucks per day.
Aid organisations say Gaza requires at least 600 trucks of aid and fuel a day to meet basic humanitarian needs – so the amount being allowed into the Strip is currently at 14 percent of the minimum required.
Gaza civilians face catastrophic hunger as aid falls short
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is nothing short of catastrophic, and UN agencies say two out of three famine thresholds have already been met.
It means that famine has become a very undeniable reality. Most of the people here are facing starvation-level conditions, with about 175 Palestinians in Gaza having died from hunger and malnutrition, most of them women and children.
Despite Israel’s latest announcement of easing aid access to Gaza, UN agencies say what is coming in is inadequate, as Gaza needs, according to the data, about 600 aid trucks daily. But what is getting in is a fraction of what’s needed, leaving civilians here quite vulnerable in dealing with the entire crisis.
These aid agencies, as well, stress that without immediate cessation of hostilities, Gaza is spiralling into an irreversible humanitarian collapse, and this has been pretty much clear given the collapse of law and order.
Most Palestinians are still risking their lives by going to the controversial aid centres that are run by the GHF.
