EU Claim That ‘Starvation Is Being Used as Weapon of War’

Israel Furiously Counters Top EU Official’s Claim That ‘Starvation Is Being Used as Weapon of War’ - Algemeiner.com

Israeli officials reacted with outrage on Monday in the face of a claim by the EU’s foreign policy chief that Jerusalem is imposing a famine on Palestinian civilians in Gaza as the war in the beleaguered territory continues to rage.

The accusation comes from Josep Borrell — a Spanish official who serves as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy “In Gaza we are in a state of famine, affecting thousands of people,” — said at the opening of a conference in Brussels on humanitarian aid for Gaza. “This is unacceptable. Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine,” Borrell continued.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded :    “Despite Hamas violently disrupting aid convoys and UNRWA’s collaboration with them, we persist.” “Israel allows extensive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, air, and sea for anyone willing to help,”      In a blunt posting on the same platform, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy noted that on Sunday, “8 million lbs. of food entered Gaza by land. That’s ~4LBS. OF FOOD PER CAPITA. That’s not famine, starvation, or catastrophic food insecurity.”

 

Levy added tartly: “I’m sorry if the facts are awkward for your efforts to help Hamas rapists survive 10/7 and live to fight another day.”

Separately, in a statement on Friday, COGAT — the Israeli agency that assists with humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza — noted that since the beginning of March, “an average of 126 food trucks entered Gaza daily. This is 80 percent more food trucks entering compared to before Oct. 7. 500 trucks entered Gaza daily before Oct. 7, carrying building, agriculture, and industrial supplies; only an average of 70 carried food.”