Jerusalem
CNN
–
US and Israeli officials are discussing mechanisms to provide assistance to Gaza, bypassing Hamas, an Israeli source familiar with the issue he told CNN.
The initiative to provide assistance comes after a complete blockade of aid delivery to Palestinian enclaves approached a third month, and President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later last month that “we have to do good things to Gaza.”
Axios initially reported on Saturday that representatives from the US, Israel and the new International Foundation were close to an agreement on how to resume providing aid, citing two anonymous Israeli and US sources.
An Israeli source who spoke to CNN will not say whether the deal is imminent. CNN is reaching out to the US State Department for comments.
For two months, Israel has implemented a full siege of Gaza and refused to allow a single truck of humanitarian aid or commercial goods. Israel has imposed an entire blockade.
Israel says it has blocked humanitarian invasions that put pressure on humanity to be released. However, international organizations say their actions violate international law. Some have accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war.
While asking questions from reporters later last month, Trump was asked whether the topic of Gaza aid had appeared in a recent conversation with Netanyahu.
“Gaza has come out,” Trump replied. “And I said: ‘We have to get better in Gaza’ because those people are – those people are suffering. ”
“There is a huge need for medicine, food, medicine. We are caring for you,” he said.
Late last year ahead of the Israeli lockdown in Gaza, the Integrated Food Security Stage (IPC) warned that the risk of hunger will persist across the territory, predicting that 16% of the population will become hunger by April.
Dr Ahmad Alfara, director of the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza, warned on Saturday that “the looming health catastrophe is threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”
“We are at the risk of a massive wave of death due to malnutrition if the current humanitarian crisis is not approved,” he told CNN.
Earlier on Saturday, two months of Janan Saleh al-Sakkafi died of malnutrition at Al-Lantisi Hospital.
The World Food Program says it is ready to surge in Gaza enough aid to feed a population of around 2 million for up to two months. Unrwa, the main UN agency supporting Palestinians, said there are nearly 3,000 trucks filled with aid waiting to cross to Gaza. Both need Israel to lift the lockdown to get that aid.
Netanyahu is under intense pressure from far-right members of his vulnerable governing coalition to continue his fight in Gaza and withhold aid as a means of pressure on Hamas.
Last month, Defense Minister Israel Katz said his government is working on a mechanism “through private companies” and distributed humanitarian aid in Gaza at a “later” stage, prompting serious backlash from extremist politicians.
“As long as our hostages are suffering in the tunnel, there is absolutely no reason to even have a gram of food or aid to enter Gaza,” said National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gwil at the time.
Katz later revealed that “humanitarian aid is not set up to enter Gaza.”
In early April, Cogat, an Israeli agency that manages the policy and flow of aid to the strip, announced a “new authorization mechanism” designed to “prevent Hamas’ penetration into humanitarian organizations.”
“This mechanism is designed to support aid organizations, increase surveillance and accountability, and ensure support reaches civilians in need, rather than being stolen bypassed to Hamas,” he said without detailing when it will be implemented.
CNN’s Ibrahimderman contributed to this report.
