THE United Nations on Tuesday dismissed as “ridiculous” an assertion by Israel that there was enough food in the Gaza Strip to last for a long period of time, despite the closure of all 25 bakeries in the enclave supported by the World Food Programme.
No aid has been delivered to the Palestinian enclave since March 2. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said it would not allow the entry of all goods and supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining hostages.
Then later in March Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza after a two-month truce and sent troops back into the enclave.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid deliveries, said on Tuesday that during the truce some 25,200 trucks entered Gaza, carrying almost 450,000 tons of aid.
“That’s nearly a third of the total trucks that entered Gaza during the entire war, in just over a month,” COGAT said in a post on X. “There is enough food for a long period of time, if Hamas lets the civilians have it.”
When asked about the statement, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters: “As far as the UN is concerned, that’s ridiculous … we are at the tail end of our supplies.”
“You know, WFP doesn’t close its bakeries for fun. If there’s no flour, if there’s no cooking gas, the bakeries cannot open,” Dujarric added.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 50,399 Palestinians are confirmed dead and 114,583 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza. The Government Media Office updated its death toll about two months ago to more than 61,700, saying that thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.
At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and more than 200 were taken captive.
