The UN’s Jens Laerke responded, saying, “Despite our repeated requests, Israel has not allowed the UN to be present at the crossings, which are militarized areas.”
Israel on Thursday slammed the United Nations over what it described as a “lack of cooperation from the international community,” arguing that it has worsened the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Officials also rejected Hamas’ “famine narrative,” accusing the terror group of using the claim as leverage in ongoing hostage negotiations.
Speaking at the Kerem Shalom Crossing, IDF Col. Abdullah Halabi, head of COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza, said some 1,000 trucks worth of aid are waiting inside Gaza for UN and NGO distribution.
“We have seen in the last two days a slight improvement in their work, especially in the UN’s position and the UN’s organizations,” Halabi said.
“We allowed longer work hours, and we took all the necessary steps to allow the international community to bring a very large amount of humanitarian aid into [Gaza], to combat the famine narrative, which Hamas uses to fight against us.”
Halabi called Hamas’ claims of famine “a campaign… based on lies.” He added, “It was created not to help Gaza’s population receive the aid, but primarily to improve Hamas’s standings in the [hostage] negotiations.”
“We are fighting Hamas, we will continue to fight Hamas. We will not allow a reality in which Hamas uses anything, whether it is humanitarian aid or any other means, to strengthen its interests or itself.”
The UN’s Jens Laerke responded, saying, “Despite our repeated requests, Israel has not allowed the UN to be present at the crossings, which are militarized areas.”
He insisted that Israel, as “the occupying power,” must ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog previously accused the UN of failing in its duty, saying, “Today it is possible to provide three times the amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza if the UN – instead of complaining all day – would do its job.”
“What is absolutely clear is that the true obstacle to humanitarian relief is Hamas,” Herzog said.
