Israel says there is plenty of food in Gaza but the UN says that claim is 'ridiculous'
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
17m ago17 minutes agoTue 1 Apr 2025 at 9:23pm
Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen
The UN say it is at the tail end of its supplies in Gaza. (Reuters: Hatem Khaled/File Photo)
In short:
The United Nations says it is "ridiculous" for Israel to say there is currently enough food in the Gaza Strip.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid deliveries, says there is enough food, "if Hamas lets the civilians have it."
What's next?
The IDF has issued evacuation orders for Rafah, saying it could soon launch another major ground operation in the Gaza Strip's southernmost city.
The United Nations says it is "ridiculous" for Israel to say there is enough food in the Gaza Strip to last for a long period of time.
No aid has been delivered to the Palestinian enclave since March 2, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it would not allow the entry of any goods or supplies into Gaza until Hamas released all remaining hostages.
Then, later in March, Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza after a two-month truce and sent troops back into the enclave.
Palestinian girls stand near a woman baking bread in an oven at a school shelter
Hamas say Gaza has reached "famine stage". (Reuters: Mahmoud Issa)
Hamas said Gaza had reached a "famine phase" and said it held Israel fully responsible for the "catastrophic human consequences increasing by the hour."
"One of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history,"
a Hamas spokesperson said.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency tasked with coordinating aid deliveries, said that during the truce, some 25,200 trucks entered Gaza, carrying almost 450,000 tons, or about 408,000 metric tonnes, of aid.
"That's nearly a third of the total trucks that entered Gaza during the entire war, in just over a month," COGAT said in a post on X.
"There is enough food for a long period of time, if Hamas lets the civilians have it."
Palestinians wait in line at a World Food Program (WFP) distribution center in Gaza City
The World Food Programme has closed all its bakeries in Gaza. (AP Photo: Jehad Alshrafi)
When asked about the statement, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters: "As far as the UN is concerned, that's ridiculous … we are at the tail end of our supplies."
Over the weekend, all 25 bakeries in the enclave supported by the World Food Programme were closed.
"You know, WFP doesn't close its bakeries for fun. If there's no flour, if there's no cooking gas, the bakeries cannot open," Mr Dujarric added.
Israel returning to Rafah with 'intense force'
Israel's military issued sweeping evacuation orders covering Rafah and nearby areas on Monday local time, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation in the Gaza Strip's southernmost city.
"The IDF is returning to combat with intense force to eliminate the capabilities of terrorist organisations in these areas," Israeli Colonel Avichay Adraee posted on social media.
The orders came during Eid al-Fitr, a normally festive Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Israel's military ordered Palestinians to head to Muwasi, a sprawl of squalid tent camps along the coast.
Israel ended its ceasefire with the Hamas militant group and renewed its air and ground war earlier this month.
Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed about 1,200 people, by Israeli tallies, in the October 7, 2023 terror attack that led to the current conflict.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 50,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, and displaced some 90 per cent of Gaza's population.
Reuters/AP
Posted17m ago17 minutes agoTue 1 Apr 2025 at 9:23pm
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