Israel is considering limiting humanitarian aid to Gaza after Donald Trump comes into office later this month in a bid to deprive Hamas of resources, according to an Israeli official familiar with the matter.
Since October 7, Israel has been waging war in Gaza trying to dismantle Hamas militarily, but says the militants retain governing capacity through seizing aid. Such a move risks exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.
“The humanitarian aid is not reaching the right hands,” the official said, who added it was one of “several” options currently being considered.
Relief organizations have consistently called for an increase in the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into the besieged strip, warning for months of the rising risk of famine for civilians.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update on Tuesday that only 2,205 aid trucks had entered Gaza in the month of December, excluding commercial vehicles and fuel.
Israel disputed that number, saying there is no limit on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza and that over 5,000 trucks had entered over the course of the month, according to a statement from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which manages the flow of aid into the strip.
UN officials say the number of trucks entering Gaza before the war was approximately 500 per day, or 15,000 per month.
An estimated 91% of the territory’s 2.1 million residents are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to OCHA.
In October, less than a month before the US presidential election, the Biden administration sent a letter to the Israeli government demanding it act to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza within 30 days or risk violating US laws governing foreign military assistance, suggesting US military aid could be in jeopardy.
The list of demands included allowing at least 350 trucks a day to enter Gaza while implementing combat pauses to enhance the flow and security for humanitarian convoys and movements.
A week after Trump won the election and the deadline expired, the Biden administration assessed that Israel was not blocking aid, despite key demands contained within the letter remaining unmet.
The State Department said that while changes were needed, progress had been made – so there would be no disruption to US arms supplies.