Israeli Defense Minister says the lockdown is a “pressure lever” against Hamas and there are no plans to make it easier.
Hamas accused Israel of openly using it as a weapon of war the day after Israeli defense minister pledged to maintain aid blockade into Gaza.
Delivery of aid to Palestinian territory was suspended from March 2, weeks before Israel broke the temporary ceasefire, by restarting air bombings on March 18th and subsequent ground assaults.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the lockdown as a “major pressure lever” against Hamas, saying there are no plans to ease restrictions despite a UN warning that malnutrition is rapidly worsening in Gaza.
In response, Hamas accused Katz of comments as “official entry for committing a war crime.”
Israel has “deprived innocent civilians of the basic necessities of life for seven weeks in a row, including food, medicine, water and fuel,” the group said in a statement posted on Telegram on Thursday.
“We update our call for the international community to take action to stop the hunger and lockdown imposed on the Gaza Strip,” it added.
In March 2024, the United Nations International Court of Justice held that Israel must ensure Gaza is providing essential assistance, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies. Israel repeatedly rejected binding orders, claiming Hamas was misunderstood the aid.
“Food consumption is rapidly deteriorating.”
Israeli Kang Broadcasting Station estimates that the remaining food in Gaza could run out within a month.
The Israeli military is implementing brainstorming methods to implement aid “without reaching Hamas,” including the proposal for a “static aid centre” managed by international organisations in the zone protected by Israeli military forces, Kang reported.
Noor Ode of Al Jazeera, who reported from Amman, said a source from the UN agency told her she wanted to approve the person Israel had received assistance in advance.
“I’ve already heard from the UN that this is unacceptable,” she said.
The report comes as the UN expands warnings about deepening hunger in Gaza.
The UN Humanitarian Cooperation Agency (OCHA) reported that 3,696 children had been newly identified with acute malnutrition in March. This has increased by 80% since February.
“Food consumption in Gaza is currently exacerbated sharply due to lockdowns at the time of entry of humanitarian aid and other important supplies in the seventh week,” Ocha said.
Ode added: “This is an official Israeli policy. There is no food, no water, no Gaza assistance, but Israel will take more and more territorial land.”
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