The U.S. has expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, monitoring Israel’s actions so there is no “policy of starvation” in the northern region, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said before the Security Council on Wednesday.  She said that would be “horrific and unacceptable” and could have legal implications under international and U.S. law.  It signals an intensifying U.S. stance on its ally’s conduct amid the ongoing conflict.

Thomas-Greenfield stressed that while the Israeli government has stated that it would not shut off essential supplies, the U.S. will observe this statement at the ground level.  In this process, the U.S. has told Israel to take practical steps within 30 days to enhance humanitarian situations in Gaza or otherwise face restrictions on U.S. military aid.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to convene an emergency gathering with other leaders today as international pressure mounted at the increased provision of aid at Gaza.  Reports indicate that humanitarian assistance may rise soon.  Thomas-Greenfield also called for immediate food and supplies surge into Gaza in addition to humanitarian pauses that would enable aid delivery and vaccination.

It has led to very intense retaliatory attacks on Gaza and brought in a full-fledged humanitarian crisis in that besieged enclave.  The death toll is reported to be over 42,000, and nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, according to Palestinian authorities, had been displaced.

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon downplayed concerns about aid, saying more than 1 million tons of supplies have been distributed in the past year, but also blamed Hamas for hijacking humanitarian supplies.  “Israel continues to flood Gaza with aid, but it will never reach all those in need as long as Hamas remains in power,” he said.  Hamas has weaponised this humanitarian situation,” said Danon.  Hamas dismisses these allegations, saying that Israel is responsible for the shortages.

The UN has condemned inadequate and irregular access to aid in Gaza, attributing the obstacles to both Israeli actions and continuing lawlessness.  She was acting UN.  It is unconscionable that people in Gaza, mostly in northern Gaza, are not getting any food, Joyce Msuya, the aid chief, said.  She added that no food shipments came into Gaza North from 2 to 15 October.  Coordinating humanitarian missions also have challenges since only 286 out of those sanctioned were carried out in the two weeks without significant delays and incidents.

One recent medical mission drives that home, reaching two northern Gaza hospitals after being turned back nine times by Israeli forces.  Over a dozen critically injured people were transferred to Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, but only after fierce hostilities and humiliating treatment at Israeli checkpoints.

Danon defended Israel’s policy on the humanitarian front, pointing to the new polio immunisation campaign launched recently by UNICEF and WHO targeting 590,000 children.  He said Israel had done “beyond and above” what’s required by international law.

However, Algeria’s U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama asked some pertinent questions about Israel’s sincerity toward humanitarian efforts while condemning the asymmetry between medical aid and food shortages: “How is it possible that we can vaccinate these children yet we cannot feed them?” he asked, inferring that humanitarian catastrophe is the policy, not a side effect.

The United States and the international community continue to put pressure on Israel for humanitarian aid while the bleak situation of Gaza continues unabated.

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