Call for Israel to End the "Weaponization" of Aid in Gaza
Stockholm, August 14 (Hibya) - More than 100 organizations have signed a joint letter urging Israel to end the "weaponization" of aid to Gaza, as "hunger deepens".
Humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), report being increasingly told that they cannot deliver aid unless they comply with stricter Israeli regulations.
According to the letter, groups face the risk of being banned if they do not "delegitimize" the Israeli state or provide detailed information about Palestinian staff.
Israel denies imposing restrictions on aid and says the rules, which came into effect in March, are intended to ensure that relief efforts are carried out in line with Israel's "national interests".
According to the joint letter, since March 2 most major international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been unable to deliver even a single truckload of life-saving supplies.
Israeli authorities, citing the new rules, have "rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in life-saving materials". In July alone, more than 60 requests were denied.
The statement notes that the inability of aid groups to deliver assistance has left "hospitals without basic supplies, and children, people with disabilities, and the elderly dying from hunger and preventable diseases".
American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) CEO Sean Carroll said: "Anera has over $7 million worth of life-saving supplies ready to enter Gaza. This includes 744 tons of rice—enough for six million meals—being held just a few kilometers away in Ashdod."
The UN reported this month that since May, 859 Palestinians have been killed near facilities of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by Israel and the US; GHF disputes this figure.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, since the start of Israel's attacks, around 62,000 Palestinians have been killed. Hunger and malnutrition have also claimed the lives of 235 people, including 106 children.
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