From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
US says it’s ensuring Israel doesn’t starve north Gaza; Israel’s UN envoy says it is committed to keeping up flow of aid
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UNITED NATIONS — The United States is watching to ensure that Israel’s actions on the ground show that it does not have a “policy of starvation” in the northern Gaza Strip, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield tells the Security Council.
She tells the 15-member council that such a policy would be “horrific and unacceptable and would have implications under international law and US law.”
“The Government of Israel has said that this is not their policy, that food and other essential supplies will not be cut off, and we will be watching to see that Israel’s actions on the ground match this statement,” Thomas-Greenfield says.
The United States has told Israel it must take steps in the next month to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave or face potential restrictions on US military aid, US officials said on Tuesday.
Israel “remains committed to working with our international partners to ensure aid reaches those who need it” in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters ahead of the Security Council meeting.
“The problem in Gaza is not a lack of aid. The problem is Hamas, which hijacks the aid — stealing, storing, and selling it to feed their terror machine, while civilians suffer,” he said.
The Times of Israel Community.