Aid Smuggling: U.S. and Israel Attempt to Evade Hamas for Deliveries to Gaza Strip
United States and Israel Plan Humanitarian Assistance for Gaza Strip
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For over two months, Israel has halted all aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip to block Hamas from gaining profits. The consequences for the civilian population are dire. Now, it seems that the blockade might lift with the intervention of a U.S. corporation.
Given the disastrous condition in Gaza, the U.S. and Israel are attempting to sneak humanitarian aid beyond Islamic Hamas into the sealed coastal region. Despite the hardships already faced by the civilian population due to food and medicine shortages and heavy Israeli attacks, the security committee allegedly plans a meeting on Sunday to discuss a potential escalation of the offensive against Hamas. In the meantime, the Israeli air force has launched new air strikes in Syria - the most intense since the start of the year, according to human rights activists.
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A deal is close to being finalized between the U.S., Israel, and an international foundation for the distribution of aid goods in the densely populated Gaza Strip, reports Axios. A private U.S. company is said to organize the distribution of food and other essentials at multiple stations within the devastated coastal region, ensuring security. According to the report, Palestinian families would receive a weekly food package.
The Israeli military has impeded aid deliveries into the sealed land strip for approximately two months. The armed forces accuse the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas of selling essential goods at inflated prices to the impoverished population, using the revenue for their fighters and weapons. Aid organizations have recently flagged that their food supplies in Gaza are dwindling.
"We must show compassion to Gaza. The people there are suffering. There is a dire need for food and medicine, and we are addressing it," said U.S. President Donald Trump after conversing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Critics claim that the Israeli administration is responsible for this acute scarcity due to their militaristic strategies.
Israel Aiming to Increase Pressure on Hamas
Several fatalities have been reported due to Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian reports. Ten casualties, including minors, were said to have perished when a family's house was hit in Al-Bureij in the center of the area, employees of the nearby Al-Aksa Hospital in Deir al-Balah reported. Furthermore, six Palestinians were said to have been killed in an Israeli attack on a soup kitchen in Gaza City, according to medical circles. These reports could not be verified immediately.
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At the scheduled meeting of the Israeli security committee on Sunday, a potential expansion of the military offensive and the mobilization of several reserve brigades are expected to be decided, according to walla.co.il. Israel intends to put additional pressure on Hamas with the attacks to prompt the Islamists to release more hostages.
Israeli Air Force Attacks Military Positions in Syria
Amid persistent clashes between members of the Druze minority and pro-government militias in Syria, Israeli forces also targeted several military installations in neighboring countries. They bombed a military facility, anti-aircraft guns, and rocket positions in Syria, as reported by the army. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, these air strikes were the most intense Israeli attack so far this year.
Politics Syria: Post the Killing of Druze in Israel, Air Strikes on Damascus
In more than 20 air strikes, according to the Observatory, targets in the vicinity of the capital Damascus, a rocket position in the Daraa administrative region in southwestern Syria, and an air defense unit in Latakia on the Mediterranean coast were hit. This brings the total to 79 targets destroyed in 52 Israeli attacks in Syria since the beginning of the year.
Heated confrontations between Sunni militias and Druze fighters have resulted in over 100 fatalities. The Druze are a religious minority whose members primarily reside in Syria, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. In Israel, many of them voluntarily serve in the army, with the Jewish state viewing them as allies.
Source: ntv.de, ino/dpa
- USA
- Israel
- Hamas
- Syria
- Gaza Strip
Enrichment Data:The severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a result of the persistent blockade, which has caused over two million people to be at risk of starvation, and 65,000 children facing acute malnutrition [1][3]. The situation is further deteriorated by the restricted access to food, water, fuel, and medical aid, with around 116,000 tons of food stuck at border crossings [1]. The healthcare system in Gaza has collapsed due to military attacks and the denial of humanitarian aid access [4]. Although there are international efforts to address the situation, the blockade hinders these attempts and exacerbates the conflict and crisis. Critics argue that the blockade constitutes collective punishment, risking further instability and conflict [5]. The situation continues to draw international condemnation, with calls for the blockade to be lifted to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe [2][3].
- The Commission has also been consulted on the draft budget of the aid distribution plan in the Gaza Strip, as the U.S. and Israel seek to deliver essential goods beyond Hamas and alleviate the dire situation.
- The general news outlets are abuzz with reports of WhatsApp messages circulating among Palestinian families, stating a promise of a weekly food package as part of the proposed aid distribution.
- For instance, in light of the inflated prices of essential goods in Gaza, ensuring their reasonable distribution is crucial to prevent political manipulation of the situation and guarantee the well-being of children searching for food in trash.
- The influx of aid in Gaza, however, must not escalate the tensions, as policymakers should prioritize maintaining peace in the region, especially with the blockade potentially lifting, and the sensitive nature of the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Syria.
