For nearly 2 years, #Israel has accused #Hamas of stealing #aid provided by the #UnitedNations & other international organizations. The government has used that claim as its main rationale for restricting #food from entering #Gaza.

But the Israeli military never found proof that the #Palestinian militant group had systematically stolen aid from the #UN, the biggest supplier of emergency assistance to Gaza for most of the war, acc/to 2 senior Israeli military ofcls & 2 other Israelis involved.

In fact, the Israeli military officials said, the #UN #aid delivery system, which #Israel derided & undermined, was largely effective in providing #food to Gaza’s desperate & hungry population.

Now, w/ #hunger at crisis levels in the territory, Israel is coming under increased international pressure over its conduct of the war in #Gaza & the #humanitarian suffering it has brought. Doctors in the territory say that an increasing number of their patients are suffering from—& dying of—#starvation.

>100 #aid agencies & rights groups warned this past week of “#MassStarvation” & implored #Israel to lift restrictions on #humanitarian assistance. The #EU & at least 28 govts, including Israeli allies like #Britain, #France & #Canada, issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s “drip-feeding of aid” to #Gaza’s 2 million #Palestinian residents.

Israel has largely brushed off the criticism.

#HumanitarianCrisis #Palestinians #Starvation #Famine

David Mencer, a govt spox, said this week that there was “no #famine caused by Israel.” Instead, he blamed #Hamas & poor coordination by the #UN for any food shortages.

#Israel moved in May toward replacing the UN-led #aid system that had been in place for most of the 21-month #Gaza #war, opting instead to back a private, American-run operation, #GHF, guarded by armed #US contractors in areas controlled by Israeli military forces. Some aid still comes into Gaza through the UN & other orgs.