CNN: Israel Considers Restricting Aid to Gaza After Trump's
According to CNN, citing an Israeli official, Israel is contemplating restricting humanitarian aid to Gaza following the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump later this month. The move is seen as an attempt to deprive Hamas of vital resources. The Israeli official claimed that much of the humanitarian aid is not reaching those who need it, and that limiting aid is one of the options under consideration.
Humanitarian organizations have consistently called for increased aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, warning for months of the looming risk of famine. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday that only 2,205 aid trucks entered Gaza in December, excluding commercial buses and fuel trucks.
In contrast, Israeli officials have claimed that there are no limits to the amount of aid entering Gaza, asserting that over 5,000 trucks entered the region during the same month. According to United Nations officials, before the war, about 500 trucks per day—roughly 15,000 trucks per month—would enter Gaza.
Currently, 91% of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents are facing significant food shortages. In October, prior to the U.S. presidential election, the Biden administration sent a letter to the Israeli government urging action to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza within 30 days or risk violating U.S. laws concerning military aid, signaling that U.S. assistance could be at risk.
However, American sources noted that the Biden administration informed Congress of a potential $8 billion arms deal with Israel, which includes ammunition for fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery shells. These sources speculated that this arms deal could be the last weapons sale approval to Israel under the Biden administration.
As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the international community is closely monitoring developments, with Israel’s potential decision to limit aid adding another layer of complexity to an already dire humanitarian crisis.