Food aid in Gaza: The influence of Hamas | DW News

Key Concepts:

• Humanitarian crisis in Gaza: Famine, malnutrition, lack of essential supplies.
• Aid delivery challenges: Insufficient aid, collapsed distribution system, high prices, black market.
• Accusations and counter-accusations: Israel claims Hamas is withholding aid; others point to Israeli restrictions and a dysfunctional aid system.
• Role of Hamas: Accusations of diverting aid and prioritizing its survival over civilian welfare.
• Role of UN: Previous successful aid distribution, call for UN to be re-empowered.
• Political will: The need for political will to improve aid delivery, security, and achieve a ceasefire and two-state solution.

1. Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

• The Gaza Health Ministry reports over 60,000 Palestinians killed in 21 months of war.
• UN-backed experts warn of a full-scale famine in Gaza. Aid drops are insufficient.
• Most of Gaza's population is displaced and left with nothing after almost two years of war.
• Hunger and malnutrition are widespread.
• Women report children constantly asking for food, with days passing without bread or flour.
• "The most common thing that women in Gaza wake up to is children asking for bread or something to eat. They say, 'Is there any food, Mom? Is there anything to eat?'"
• Residents describe the daily struggle to find food, with no jobs, no money, and high prices.
• "Today I ate just a piece of bread. What can we do? Yesterday we went to bed hungry. This is our life. We either eat a piece of bread in the morning or just half of it and at the end of the day we eat the other half."
• Children and mothers are protesting for food.

2. Aid Delivery Challenges and Distribution Problems

• Israel controls what goes in and out of Gaza, and despite allowing more aid, people say little has changed.
• The aid distribution system has collapsed.
• People risk their lives to get food packages at Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites or chase trucks.
• Even if people get aid, it's insufficient (e.g., a few cans of beans and chickpeas, a few kilos of lentils).
• Food prices are extremely high due to scarcity.
• A kilo of flour costs 150 shekels (approximately €40), making it unaffordable for many.
• "Aid is coming in, but we can't get it. Merchants seize it and sell it at very high prices. A kilo of flour cost 150 shekels. Who can afford that? What we can afford is 20 shekels a day."
• Looted aid is resold at high rates.
• The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's distribution sites have become dangerous due to panic and Hamas activity.

3. Accusations and Counter-Accusations

• Israel's foreign minister rejects claims of starvation policies, calling it a "distorted campaign of international pressure."
• Israel claims there is no shortage of food and that Hamas is withholding supplies from civilians.
• "Everyone who is worried about the humanitarian situation must ask himself, who is responsible for the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza? Who is responsible for this war and its continuation? There's only one clear answer. Hamas."
• Hans Jacob Schindler states that the situation is a combination of Israeli policies/military operations and Hamas actions.
• Schindler acknowledges Hamas diverts aid, but also points to criminal organizations and a rampant black market.
• Reports from USAD and the New York Times quote Israeli military sources saying there's no proof Hamas has been systematically stealing US or UN aid.
• Schindler's organization has pictures showing Hamas stealing aid, but he questions whether Hamas is the only culprit.

4. Role of Hamas

• Hamas is accused of prioritizing its survival over the welfare of civilians.
• "Clearly Hamas is interested in its survival. It is really not interested on how many civilian die in order to secure its survival. This has been the fact from the beginning and this continues to today."
• Hamas is diverting humanitarian aid.
• Hamas fighters appear well-nourished compared to the starving civilian population.
• Hamas' strategy is to increase international pressure on Israel, even if people starve.
• Hamas is described as an Islamic terror organization aiming to conquer Gaza and Palestinian territories, regardless of the cost to Palestinian lives.
• "Hamas is not a Palestinian liberation organization. Hamas is a Islamic terror organization who wants to conquer the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. However many Palestinians live a life live this will cost."
• Hamas leader Haneer showed no emotion upon learning of his son's death, stating it was a justification for the war and that Palestinians must sacrifice.

5. Role of UN and International Efforts

• Georgie Morera Dilva (UNOPS) states that current aid levels are a small fraction of what's needed.
• Only 400 trucks were offloaded in Gaza in the last three days (approximately 130 trucks/day).
• Fuel provision is drastically lower than before the war (100,000 liters/day vs. 1 million liters/day previously).
• UNOPS faces tragic choices between allocating fuel to hospitals, bakeries, desalination, sewage systems, waste collection, or ambulances.
• Dilva calls for the UN to be re-empowered to manage logistics and aid distribution, citing its previous success.
• "We just need to bring the UN back with the UN. nothing that we are witnessing was happening. You remember uh we managed in a very short notice to approve all eight to distribute the aid to bring the aid to the people. Uh you haven't seen when the UN was in charge. Uh people being forced displaced to get food. You have not seen when the UN was in charge. People getting killed queuing for food. You have not seen chaos."
• Dilva emphasizes the need for full respect of international humanitarian law.
• The UN had a transparent monitoring and tracking system for aid, recognized by both Palestinians and Israelis (website 2720).
• Before being replaced, the UN had hundreds of distribution points, bringing aid directly to the people.
• Air drops are not a solution to the crisis.
• Cooperation between Jordan and Germany on aid delivery is mentioned, but airdrops alone are insufficient.

6. Political Will and the Path Forward

• Dilva stresses that the situation is not inevitable and is reversible with political will.
• A ceasefire is needed, along with the provision of humanitarian aid in safety, release of hostages, and success in negotiations on a two-state solution.
• "War is a choice. as peace is a choice. So it's time to bring peace to Gaza."
• Dilva highlights the devastating impact of the war on children (18,000 killed, 20,000 orphaned, unprecedented levels of amputations).

7. Technical Terms and Concepts

• UNOPS: United Nations Office for Project Services.
• Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: An Israeli-backed organization involved in aid distribution.
• Two-state solution: A proposed resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict involving the creation of independent Israeli and Palestinian states.

8. Logical Connections

The report begins by establishing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, then explores the challenges in delivering aid. It presents conflicting perspectives on the causes of the crisis, with Israel blaming Hamas and others pointing to Israeli restrictions and a dysfunctional aid system. The role of the UN and the need for political will are emphasized as crucial for improving the situation and achieving a lasting solution.

9. Synthesis/Conclusion

The situation in Gaza is a complex humanitarian crisis exacerbated by conflict, political disputes, and logistical challenges. While accusations fly between parties, the reality is that the civilian population is suffering from widespread hunger, malnutrition, and lack of essential supplies. The report underscores the urgent need for increased aid, a functional distribution system, and, ultimately, a political solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict and prioritizes the well-being of the Palestinian people. Re-empowering the UN to manage aid distribution and fostering political will among all stakeholders are crucial steps towards alleviating the suffering and achieving a lasting peace.