 "Palestinian children wait for a meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22, 2025. Image- AFP")
President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday dismissed claims that Israel is to blame for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, asserting that the country is operating within the bounds of international law in its ongoing war with Hamas.
“We are acting here according to international law. We are providing humanitarian aid according to international law,” Herzog told troops during a visit to the Palestinian territory – his first time there since the war began in October 2023, according to a presidency statement.
He blamed militant group “Hamas and its people” for “trying to sabotage this aid” in a bid to obstruct Israel’s military campaign.
Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the military and Defense Ministry agency overseeing humanitarian aid to Gaza, stated that approximately 950 truckloads of supplies are currently awaiting pickup by the United Nations on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom and Zikim border crossings.
An official from COGAT noted that the aid stockpiled at the crossings is sufficient to meet Gaza’s food requirements for about two and a half weeks.
“At this stage, we have not observed signs of starvation,” the official said, “but we recognise the need for immediate action to stabilise the humanitarian conditions.” He acknowledged that while food might not be reaching all areas effectively, this was a problem that needed addressing. His remarks followed what he described as a thorough evaluation of the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
The official added that COGAT had been engaged in discussions with UN representatives to coordinate the distribution of the growing volumes of aid that have entered Gaza but remain undelivered.
According to him, while there are no barriers preventing aid from reaching the border crossings and entering the territory, the primary challenge lies in its distribution. Although an agreement was reached to deliver between 70 and 80 truckloads on Tuesday, only 30 were actually moved into Gaza, he said.
The UN, however, has consistently argued that COGAT has denied its requests for permission to collect and distribute the aid, also citing the hazardous and complicated situation on the ground as a major obstacle to effective distribution.
With inputs from agencies