Israel Refutes Scapegoat Label for Gaza Food Problems as Houthi Strike Brings Death at Sea

JERUSALEM, Israel – The United Nations describes the food situation in the Gaza Strip as catastrophic. Yet, many believe, In Israel and elsewhere, that the U.N. is trying to make Israel the scapegoat.  

Samer Abdel Jaber of the World Food Program claims Israel is not getting enough food into Gaza.

He stated, "We have enough food to feed the entire population of Gaza. That food at the moment is outside the Gaza Strip. We need land crossings, we need access to get it into Gaza, whether in the southern parts of Gaza or the northern part of Gaza because the situation is catastrophic."

However, Israel says record amounts of humanitarian aid are reaching Gaza – the equivalent of three pounds of food per person. 

Elyon Levy, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, countered, "There are no limits on incoming aid, and in fact, there is excess capacity at the Israeli crossings – both Kerem Shalom, where goods enter Gaza directly and Nitzana. The best evidence of that excess capacity is that last week we hit a record 277 aid trucks a day with 255 entering yesterday." 

Levy suggests the problem is distribution inside Gaza and the U.N.'s reliance on Hamas for protection.  

"The U.N. is struggling to distribute aid at the pace that Israel is letting it in. And the reason is that the U.N. relies on UNWRA, which is a Hamas front. That is why aid is piling up undistributed on the Gazan side of the crossing," he declared.

Observers on the ground posted a video said to show Hamas commandeering aid trucks entering Gaza. 

Meanwhile, Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping intensified, as a missile strike on a ship killed at least two crew members of a commercial ship owned under Liberian registration – this just days after an attack resulted in the sinking of another commercial ship.

Spokesman Matthew Miller of the U.S. State Department announced, "The United States will continue to hold the Houthis accountable for their attacks, which have not just disrupted international commerce, not just disrupted the freedom of navigation in international waters, and not just endangered seafarers, but now, tragically killed a number of them." 

And on Capitol Hill, hostage family members met with lawmakers to plead for the release of their loved ones from captivity.    

Ruby Chen, the father of one hostage, said, "We call on our president and all the parties involved to do whatever they can to bring our loved ones back home. I hope to believe that my fellow U.S. citizens remember the fact that there are eight U.S. hostages."

Hopes for a deal to free the remaining hostages held by Hamas are fading, since the terror group has refused to terms agreed to by the U.S. and Israel.