The US says Israel has not broken the law against blocking aid to Gaza

On By Pranco

A UN-backed report recently warned that there is an immediate risk of famine in northern Gaza, where aid has been scarce in the past month.

Joyce Msuya, the UN Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said international crimes were being committed in Gaza.

Briefing council members at the United Nations on Tuesday, Ms. Msuya said Israeli authorities are blocking humanitarian aid from entering northern Gaza, where fighting continues.

She said 75,000 people remain there with dwindling supplies.

Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave Israel 30 days to ensure more aid trucks reached Gaza every day. That deadline expired on Tuesday.

A letter to the Israeli government demanded the country end its isolation in the besieged north, where aid groups warn civilians are starving amid Israel’s military offensive.

A group of eight humanitarian aid organizations said conditions had actually deteriorated since the letter was sent.

But Tuesday’s U.S. response signals that Washington will continue to supply weapons to its ally despite mounting warnings from aid groups about civilians being killed and displaced by Israel’s assault on the north.

However, the Israeli military said it is routing a resurgence of Hamas in the region.

Israel says it has significantly increased the amount of aid entering Gaza, and accuses aid agencies of failing to distribute it adequately.

In Beit Hanoun, which has been under siege for more than a month, Ms. Msuya said food and water reached shelters on Monday only where Israeli soldiers were able to forcibly expel people from those areas on Tuesday.

Ilze Kehris, UN assistant secretary-general for human rights, said the pattern and frequency of Israeli attacks indicate systematic attacks on civilians.

Much of the death and destruction was caused by American weapons, which were given to Israel to help the fight against Hamas.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas after the group’s attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people; 251 others were taken hostage.

Since then, more than 43,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-led Health Ministry.