Gaza needs 600 trucks of aid daily, only 85 arriving
Israel’s far right urges Netanyahu to intensify offensive against Hamas
Monitoring Desk
GAZA: The Government Media Office in Gaza has said only 1,210 aid trucks entered Gaza over the past 14 days, representing just 14 per cent of the territory’s actual needs — a total of 8,400 trucks.
Aid groups have been seeking the entry of at least 600 trucks daily to address the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by Israel’s curbs on aid delivery.
The majority of trucks, they added, were “subjected to looting and robbery amidst the artificial security chaos pursued by the Israeli occupation, as part of a systematic policy of ‘engineering starvation and chaos’, with the aim of breaking the will of the Palestinian people and undermining their steadfastness”.
Meanwhile, Israel’s far right pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go harder against Hamas, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting Sunday on the premier’s plan to conquer Gaza City.
The debate has only intensified after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet announced plans Friday to expand the conflict and capture Gaza City.
While thousands took to the streets in Tel Aviv Saturday night to protest the cabinet’s decision, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted a video online, slamming Netanyahu’s decision on Gaza as half-hearted.
“The prime minister and the cabinet gave in to weakness. Emotion overcame reason, and they once again chose to do more of the same — launching a military operation whose goal is not decisive victory, but rather to apply limited pressure on Hamas in order to bring about a partial hostage deal,” Smotrich said.
“They decided once again to repeat the same approach, embarking on a military operation that does not aim for a decisive resolution.”
Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a press conference with international media at 4:30 pm local time (13:30 GMT) on Sunday — his first since the security cabinet decision.
The far-right members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, including Smotrich, have maintained considerable influence in the premier’s coalition government throughout the war — with their support seen as vital to holding at least 61 seats for a parliamentary majority.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, also of the far right, told Kan radio on Sunday: “It is possible to achieve victory. I want all of Gaza, transfer and colonisation. This plan will not endanger the troops.”
In Tel Aviv, demonstrators held up pictures of hostages still in Gaza, calling on the government to secure their release.
“We will end with a direct message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: if you invade parts of Gaza and the hostages are murdered, we will pursue you in the town squares, in election campaigns and at every time and place,” Shahar Mor Zahiro, the relative of a slain hostage, told the media.
The cabinet’s decision to expand the war in Gaza has meanwhile touched off a wave of criticism across the globe.
On Sunday, the UN Security Council is set to meet to discuss the latest development.
Foreign powers, including some of Israel’s allies, have been pushing for a negotiated truce to secure the hostages’ return and help alleviate a humanitarian crisis in the territory following repeated warnings of famine taking hold.
Despite the backlash and rumours of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Netanyahu has remained firm.
In a post on social media late Friday, Netanyahu said “we are not going to occupy Gaza — we are going to free Gaza from Hamas”.
