Germany says Israel not doing enough to improve Gaza aid situation

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Germany said on Friday Israel has not done enough when it comes to allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“Basically, you know that the federal government as a whole considers the aid provided in the Gaza Strip to be far too small and is pushing for significant progress and that much more help can reach the people,” deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer said at a press briefing in Berlin.

Germany has time and again called the Gaza aid situation “dramatic”, calling on Israel to improve humanitarian conditions in the enclave since the war with Hamas broke out on Oct. 7, 2023.

Nearly 2 million people have been internally displaced in Gaza, according to the latest estimates from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), and the population faces widespread shortages of food, water and medicine.

In northern Gaza, a month-long renewed offensive and tightened siege have led to catastrophic conditions, with an estimated 100,000 people completely cut off from humanitarian aid.

Israel reduced the daily number of humanitarian aid trucks allowed into the Gaza Strip to just 30 in October, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Monday.

“This is the lowest in a long time, bringing the assistance back to the level of the beginning of the war,” Philippe Lazzarini said on X.

Since the start of the war, Israel has maintained strict closures on Gaza’s crossings, limiting essential goods and imposing significant restrictions on humanitarian aid, creating severe living conditions.

Lazzarini emphasized that these 30 daily trucks “cannot meet the needs of over 2 million people, many of whom are starving, sick, and in desperate conditions.”

He noted that these trucks “represent only 6% of the supplies (commercial and humanitarian) allowed into Gaza before the war.”

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since an attack last year by Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 43,500 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 102,500 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.​​​​​​​