Israel has maintained there is no limit on the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza after the US leaked plans to build a port to ship food to the territory.
“Israel is in control of all of the aid that’s going in, all of the airdrops, and we will continue. Every day we are getting better at distribution, but Hamas is trying to steal that aid,” government spokesperson Avi Hyman told Sky News’ The World with Yalda Hakim.
Joe Biden is set to announce plans to build a pier on Gaza’s coast and a maritime aid corridor via Cyprus in his State of the Union address today.
Asked whether his plans suggest the US does not buy Israel’s narrative, Mr Hyman said: “This week a record amount of trucks went through. 277 trucks in one day. We’re doing our upmost to get supplies in, but Hamas is doing their upmost to steal them.”
Earlier today, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said 500 aid trucks per day were needed to prevent famine.
Mr Hyman continued: “No one is going hungry if they are a Hamas fighter. Those people are underground while their people are suffering. Their leaders are living it large in Qatar.”
The spokesperson was asked why aid has not been allowed in through the Erez border crossing, which connects Israel with northern Gaza, where the UN says malnutrition is worst.
“The Erez border crossing was the main border crossing used by Hamas. They destroyed much of it when they came through butchering our people,” he said.
“War is absolute hell and I feel for the civilians that have got caught up in this war on both sides, civilians should not have to die as [sic] war, but we did not choose this war.”
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