More than 100 aid groups call on Israel to end 'weaponization' of aid in Gaza

CBC

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More than 100 non-profit groups warned Thursday that Israel's rules for aid groups working in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank will block much-needed relief and replace independent organizations with those that serve Israel's political and military agenda, charges that Israel denied.
At the same time, hospital officials reported more deaths from Israeli airstrikes and an increasing toll from malnutrition. The mounting backlash over aid restrictions and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been cited by several countries as a factor in their moves toward recognizing Palestinian statehood.
The 108 non-profit groups, including Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders and CARE, were responding to registration rules announced by Israel in March that require organizations to hand over full lists of their donors and Palestinian staff for vetting.
They contend doing so could endanger their staff and give Israel broad grounds to block aid if groups are deemed to be "delegitimizing" the country or supporting boycotts or divestment.
The aid groups stressed on Thursday that most of them haven't been able to deliver "a single truck" of life-saving assistance since Israel implemented a blockade in March, calling on the international community to press Israel to end the "weaponization of aid, including through bureaucratic obstruction."
"Oxfam has over $2.5 million [US] worth of goods that have been rejected from entering Gaza by Israel, especially WASH and hygiene items as well as food," said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam policy lead. "This registration process signals to INGOs that their ability to operate may come at the cost of their independence and ability to speak out."
The aid that the groups provide supplements assistance from the United Nations, airdrops organized by foreign governments and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Israel- and U.S.-backed contractor that since May has been the primary distributor of aid in Gaza.
Aid levels remain lower than before
Despite those channels, the amount of aid reaching Gaza remains far below what the UN and relief groups previously delivered.
"At this point, everyone knows what the correct, humane answer is, and it's not a floating pier, airdrops or the 'GHF.' The answer, to save lives, save humanity and save yourselves from complicity in engineered mass starvation, is to open all the borders, at all hours, to the thousands of trucks, millions of meals and medical supplies, ready and waiting nearby," said Sean Carroll of Anera.
UN agencies and a small number of aid groups have resumed delivering assistance, but say the number of trucks allowed in remains far from sufficient.
WATCH | U.S. officials visit aid site amid international calls to allow more aid in:
COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, denied the claims in the NGOs' letter. It said 380 trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday. During the two-month ceasefire, aid groups demanded Israel allow entry for 600 trucks a day.
"The alleged delay in aid entry … occurs only when organizations choose not to meet the basic security requirements intended to prevent Hamas's involvement," it said.
Israel has pressed UN agencies to accept military escorts to deliver goods into Gaza, a demand the agencies have largely rejected, citing their commitment to neutrality.
The standoff has been the source of competing claims: Israel maintains it allows aid into Gaza that adheres to its rules, while aid groups that have long operated in Gaza decry the amount of life-saving supplies stuck at border crossings.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff had met with UN humanitarian officials in New York about the "need to, speedily, scale up aid into Gaza."
Death toll mounts from airstrikes, malnutrition
Hospitals throughout Gaza on Thursday reported casualties from Israeli strikes on Gaza City, which Israel identified as a militant stronghold last week when it announced plans to launch a new offensive against Hamas.
An Israeli strike on Gaza City killed one person and wounded three others, an official at Al-Shifa Hospital said. A separate strike killed five people in Gaza City on Thursday morning, according to Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the casualties.
Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions about the strikes.
The casualties add to the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed since the war started when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 people.
WATCH | Airstrikes Wednesday kill at least 123 people, ministry says:
Israeli strikes pound Gaza City ahead of planned ground offensive
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At least 123 people have been killed in 24 hours, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says people will be given the opportunity to leave Gaza before a planned ground offensive, but no one is being pushed out.
Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed more 61,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals, but 50 remain inside Gaza. Israel believes around 20 of them to be alive.
The Health Ministry on Thursday also reported four additional malnutrition-related deaths, raising the total to 239, of whom 106 are children.