An Israeli minister said Thursday that Israel would not allow any humanitarian aid into Gaza unless Hamas releases Israelis it has taken into the enclave.
“Humanitarian aid to Gaza?” Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz wrote on X. “No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home.”
The comments came as human rights groups are pleading to allow aid into Gaza to prevent the enclave’s hospitals from turning into morgues amid a relentless, indiscriminate bombing campaign. Gaza’s sole powerplant has been turned off due to a lack of fuel, and hospitals only have a few more days worth of fuel to power generators.
“As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can’t be taken. Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues,” said Fabrizio Carboni, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Doctors Without Borders also issued a statement on Thursday calling for humanitarian aid into Gaza. “Millions of men, women and children are facing a collective punishment in the form of total siege, indiscriminate bombing, and the pending threat of a ground battle. Safe spaces must be established, humanitarian supplies must be allowed into Gaza,” the statement said.
On Thursday, Egypt received a shipment of humanitarian aid for Gaza from Jordan, but it’s not clear if it will make it into the besieged enclave. Israeli TV has reported that Israel threatened to bomb aid trucks that enter Gaza from Egypt.
Source: AntiWar.
