Israel says European criticism over Gaza aid ‘disappointing’
Israel expressed disappointment Tuesday with three European nations after they demanded it take urgent action to allow aid into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
Britain, France and Germany had written to the Israel government to “urge action on the unacceptable humanitarian situation in Gaza,” UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Monday.
In a post on X, he said: “Israel must implement the UN’s winter plan now: send equipment to guard against cold & flooding, give access to fuel, repair vital infrastructure, and get aid in.”
Israel’s foreign ministry hit back, denying it was imposing any restrictions on the amount of aid entering Gaza.
“It is disappointing that the foreign ministers of the E3 (Britain, France and Germany) failed to address the October 7 massacre and the daily attacks on Israeli civilians since then in their letter,” spokesman Oren Marmorstein said in a statement.
“Israel is facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and does not impose any restrictions on the quantity of aid entering the Strip.”
Marmorstein said international organizations had failed “to distribute the aid due to looting by Hamas.”
The United Nations on Monday described the situation in Gaza as “horrific and apocalyptic.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized what he saw as restrictions on aid delivery, calling current levels “grossly insufficient.”
International aid organizations have raised the alarm about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning its 2.4 million people were on the brink of famine.
They said deliveries of aid have decreased significantly since the unprecedented attack by the militant Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7, 2023, which led to the ongoing 14-month war.
UN agencies and NGOs have highlighted the difficulties in distributing aid within Gaza, citing challenges such as fuel shortages for trucks and increasing insecurity, as well as numerous restrictions they claim are imposed by Israeli military authorities on the ground.
