Israel Starts Airdrops of Humanitarian Aid (Worthy News In-Depth)
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JERUSALEM/GAZA CITY (Worthy News) – Israel says it has started airdrops with humanitarian aid in Gaza to prevent mass starvation in the enclave after the United Nations allegedly refused to distribute food on Israeli terms.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Sunday that the airdrop “included seven aid packages containing flour, sugar, and canned food.”
IDF officials explained early Sunday that the airdrop “was carried out in coordination with international organizations and led by Cogat”, referring to the Israeli military body overseeing aid into Gaza.
The military also posted a video purportedly showing a plane dropping the aid.
It came after Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, said the U.N. is responsible for the reported hunger in Gaza due to its desire “to collaborate with Hamas, which Israel is unwilling to consider.”
He told U.S. broadcaster NewsNation that “Israel is doing everything it possibly can. The problem is our efforts are being blocked by the United Nations.”
The U.N. has denied this. More than 100 charity and human rights groups have warned of mass starvation, which they claim Israel is causing due to its blockade of Gaza. They did not mention Egypt’s ongoing restrictions on its border with the territory.
UN RESPONSIBLE
However, “The U.N. is responsible for any hunger that exists right now in Gaza,” Leiter said. “We are sitting on hundreds and perhaps thousands of trucks already ready to enter Gaza,” he stressed.
“If we continue to turn over food to Hamas, which the U.N. is doing, it means that we prolong the war. It means that Hamas becomes strengthened. It means that they can hire more terrorists. It means they continue to control the civilian population. It means that they control Gaza.”
Leiter said Israel wants to “flood Gaza with humanitarian aid” but not through Hamas. “If [crime gang] MS-13 took over a neighborhood in the United States and you had to fight MS-13 from their domination of a neighborhood, would you feed them?” he asked.
Leiter also noticed that “90 percent of aid is hijacked by the terrorist group.”
However, NewsNation cited an internal U.S. government analysis as showing “no evidence of systematic theft” of aid by Hamas. It was not immediately clear on what sources this analysis was based.
The U.N. has “blood on its hands” as it will not allow aid into Gaza without collaboration with Hamas, which runs the territory, Leiter added.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said at least 79 Palestinians were killed trying to get aid into Gaza this week.
RAISING DOUBTS
Leiter raised doubts about the reported death toll. Although the IDF has launched an investigation into possible shooting incidents, the ambassador denied that the Israeli military was responsible for the massive deaths at aid distribution points.
He said troops were firing “warning shots”, without directly targeting people.
Leiter complained that the U.N. has refused to work with the Israel and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Despite footage emerging of emaciated children, the IDF said “there is no starvation in Gaza,” calling it “a false campaign promoted by Hamas.”
The IDF added, “Responsibility for food distribution lies with the UN and international aid organizations. Therefore, the U.N. and international organizations are expected to improve aid distribution’s effectiveness and ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas.”
Despite its decision to resume aid drops, Israeli forces said its combat operations across Gaza “have not ceased”.
In a statement on Saturday, the IDF said: “We will continue to operate in Gaza to return all hostages and to defeat Hamas, both above and below ground.”
‘HUMANITARIAN PAUSES’
However, the Israeli military clarified that it was ready to implement “humanitarian pauses” of military strikes against Hamas in densely populated areas.
Before Israel decides to resume aid drops, the United Arab Emirates said it would also restart aid drops across Gaza.
UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan said that as the “humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical and unprecedented level,” his country “remains at the forefront of efforts to deliver life-saving assistance to the Palestinian people.”
Outside Gaza, Israel faced a challenge too, as the Lebanese health ministry said three people were killed in Israeli strikes on the south on Saturday despite a ceasefire.
The Israeli military confirmed that one of them targeted a fighter of Hezbollah, seen as a terrorist group by Israel and most of its allies. “The Israeli enemy drone strike that targeted a vehicle in the Tyre district killed one person”, a ministry statement said.
Israel says it will continue to attack those threatening the Jewish nation.
Regional tensions rose since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Since then, Hamas-run authorities say, some 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks.
Those figures have been difficult to verify independently.
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