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Friday, July 11, 2025
Israel said hampering delivery of baby formula into Gaza, as child malnutrition climbs; COGAT refutes allegation
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Israel has been hampering the delivery of much-needed baby formula into Gaza where child malnutrition is climbing to alarming levels, international aid organizations say.
Officials from several organizations tell Haaretz that Israel has started to impose custom duties on aid purchased outside Israel since partially lifting its blockade in May after 78 days. This practice is not done by other countries that neighbor conflict zones, including those near Russia.
The officials said that Israeli authorities are pushing aid organizations to buy their products in Israel, even though they are much more expensive than they would be in the West Bank, Jordan or elsewhere.
The policy has left some aid organizations unable to afford to cost of baby formula and other essential products, humanitarian officials tell Haaretz.
One hundred and thirty-six countries have signed onto an international agreement that urges nations not to collect custom duties on humanitarian aid, but Israel is not a signatory.
UNRWA says it has been gathering data based on the arm diameter of tens of thousands of children in Gaza to examine the state of their diet.
The data found that the percentage of children suffering from malnourishment rose from 5.2% during the ceasefire at the beginning of the year to 10.7% in recent days.
The World Health Organization says that 90% of pregnant and nursing mothers suffer from severe malnutrition, which harms their ability to breastfeed, thereby requiring their children to use baby formula that is in limited supply.
Even the formula that does make it into Gaza requires clean water for preparation, but the lack of access to clean water has exposed children to infections.
Responding to the report, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, which facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza asserts that it does not prevent or restrict the entry of “baby food, including milk substitutes and baby formula, into the Gaza Strip.
“As evidence, in recent weeks more than 1,400 tons of baby food have been brought in through the crossings, as per the requests of international aid organizations, following stringent security checks.”
The Israeli unit also denies collecting customs on aid brought into Gaza.
The Times of Israel Community.