Israel’s Defense Minister Vows ‘No Humanitarian Aid to Gaza’

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz clarified that no humanitarian aid is about to enter Gaza after stating that the government is preparing to let civilian companies take charge of distributing aid in the future. Mr. Katz came under fire from right-wing politicians and families of hostages for saying that the government’s plan for Gaza includes “creating an infrastructure for the distribution of aid through civilian companies in the future.”“In the current reality, no one is going to bring any humanitarian aid into Gaza, and no one is preparing to bring in any such aid,” Mr. Katz said in a tweet less than an hour after his first statement on future aid into Gaza. “I emphasized that regarding the future, a mechanism for using civilian companies must be built, to not allow Hamas access [to aid] in the future,” he added. National Security Minister and security cabinet member Itamar Ben-Gvir quickly lashed out at Mr. Katz, saying: “It’s a shame we don’t learn from our mistakes. As long as our hostages are languishing in the tunnels, there is no reason for a single gram of food or any aid to enter Gaza.” “The cessation of humanitarian aid is one of the main levers of pressure on Hamas. The return of aid to Gaza before Hamas gets on its knees and releases all of our hostages would be a historic mistake,” Mr. Ben-Gvir said, adding that he will work “with all his might” to prevent aid from entering Gaza. Culture and Sports Minister Micky Zohar also lashed out at his Likud party colleague, saying: “The vile murderers in Gaza deserve no humanitarian aid, neither through civilian nor military means. Only the fire of hell upon the perpetrators of terror until the last of our brothers and sisters in captivity return home safely.Avigdor Liberman, leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beytenu party, accused Mr. Katz and the government of “surrendering” to Hamas. “At a time when our hostages are starved in tunnels, residents of the south are running to bomb shelters during a holiday, the government of Israel surrenders again and intends to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. This cannot be allowed to happen,” Mr. Liberman said. Mr. Katz also said that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians residents have been evacuated from conflict zones in Gaza and “tens of percent of the territory has been added to the security zones.”“Unlike in the past, the IDF does not vacate areas that have been cleared and captured. The IDF will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and the (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent reality in Gaza — similar to Lebanon and Syria,” he added. The Hostages and Missing Families forum also lashed out at Mr. Katz, saying: “A lot of words and empty promises won’t hide the bitter truth — the Katz plan is an illusion.”“They promised the hostages above all else. In reality, Israel chooses to seize territory over hostages. They promised to open ‘the gates of hell.’ In reality, they are quietly preparing the renewal of humanitarian aid. The time has come to stop the false promises and slogans. It is impossible to continue the war and at the same time release all the hostages,” the forum added. Israel has been harshly criticised for blocking aid into Gaza following the collapse of the ceasefire last month. “I’m very concerned as aid continues to be blocked, with devastating consequences. Civilians must be respected and protected at all times, and they must have the basic necessities to survive,” UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.

Israel’s Defense Minister Vows ‘No Humanitarian Aid to Gaza’

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