Israel using limited Gaza aid as 'smokescreen' to continue siege, says MSF

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused Israel of allowing only a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as “a smokescreen to pretend the siege is over”.

“As people remain in desperate need of medical care and assistance, Israeli authorities must stop the deliberate asphyxiation of Gaza and the annihilation of its healthcare system, which is underpinning their campaign of ethnic cleansing,” MSF said in a statement on Tuesday.

While Israeli authorities claimed that 100 aid trucks entered the besieged enclave on Wednesday, Reuters reported that aid officials and local sources said supplies had not reached Gaza’s soup kitchens, bakeries, markets, or hospitals.

“None of this aid - which is a very limited number of trucks - has reached the Gaza population,” said Antoine Renard, country director for the World Food Programme.

Renard added that thousands of tonnes of food and other essentials are currently waiting near the crossing points into Gaza. However, without proper distribution, approximately a quarter of the population remains at risk of famine.

Read more: Israel using limited Gaza aid as 'smokescreen' to continue siege, says MSF