Regularly, NU.nl provides you with an overview of the developments in the war between Israel and Hamas. This time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the organization responsible for distributing emergency aid among Palestinians in Gaza “will be finished in a few days.”
Netanyahu said on Thursday that the construction of the first humanitarian aid distribution zones in Gaza should be completed in the coming days. These are parts of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This organization should be responsible for so-called “safe distribution points” for food and aid in Gaza.
Only one location was ready on Monday, but several zones are now said to be ready. International aid organizations have criticized the GHF and their approach to aid delivery in Gaza.
“Ultimately, we want to create large safe zones in southern Gaza. The Palestinian population will move there for their own safety, while we conduct fighting in other zones,” Netanyahu said in a video statement in the hands of news agency Reuters.
Cookies and Baby Powder, But No Water Or Energy Food
On Wednesday, about ninety trucks with aid entered the Gaza Strip. You can watch footage of this in the video below. These trucks mainly contain baby food, flour, and medical equipment. But according to aid organizations, the content is minimal and the quantities are “symbolic.”
“There is baby powder, but no water to prepare it. Cookies for malnourished children, but no regular food. And if there is food, there is nothing to cook with,” says Jolien Veldwijk. She is the country director for Gaza and the West Bank at CARE Netherlands.
The Red Cross confirms this. “Mainly flour comes in. No fresh food, no vegetables, no energy food for malnourished people.” The World Food Program has announced that “a handful” of bakeries are baking bread again. But it is all too little: the hunger in Gaza will not be solved with this. And it remains to be seen whether the GHF will do so.
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Trucks with Aid Drive Into Gaza While Attacks Continue
Boxes of Deaths in New Attacks
Meanwhile, attacks on the Gaza Strip continue. On Thursday, at least eighty Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks.
According to Al Jazeera, attacks were carried out in various places, including Khan Younis and at a tent camp in Deir el-Balah. Dozens of people were injured.
Due to the intensified attacks, more and more medical assistance is needed, while supplies continue to dwindle. The World Health Organization (WHO) also announced that four major hospitals in Gaza have had to cease their medical care in the past week due to the violence.
Two Dead in Shooting at Israeli Embassy in US
Two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot dead on Wednesday evening (local time). This happened after an event at the Jewish Museum in the American capital.
The employees are a man and a woman. They were shot when they left the museum. The police have arrested a suspect, the police chief said at a press conference. The police assume it was a targeted attack. During his arrest, the suspect shouted “Free Palestine”.
The 31-year-old suspect is suspected of murder. It is being investigated whether he had a terrorist motive. The man from Chicago can be sentenced to death for his act.
During a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu called the attack a “despicable act of anti-Semitism.” He stated that the attack is related to the “violence inflicted on Israel.” He cited the protests at universities and the genocide accusations from institutions and scientists as examples. The Prime Minister said nothing about the violence against the Palestinians under his rule.