No real hunger crisis exists in Gaza, the IDF maintained in a statement released on Tuesday evening.
According to the IDF, based on all the indicators, the daily surveillance and inspections carried out by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) within the Gaza Strip, there is no real hunger crisis in Gaza, despite the sweeping wave of criticism against Israel over the past week—from European governments and, for the first time on Monday, from the White House in Washington.
Trucks await collection and distribution by the UN on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing
(Photo: Ministry of Defense spokesperson)
Almost every day, one or more videos circulate showing crowds of Palestinians being pushed toward food-distribution points, and IDF tear-gas or deterrent fire—sometimes lethal—toward them. However, the military contends that those distribution points are achieving their main purpose: keeping the critical mass of food aid that Israel is bringing into Gaza out of Hamas' hands, and stopping resources from strengthening them.
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Nevertheless, about half of the food aid enters northern Gaza via trucks—where looting still occurs, unlike in the four designated food distribution centers in central and southern Gaza.
“We know the caloric value of every truck that enters, and how many people it can support," the IDF explains. "We speak directly with distribution workers on the ground and with aid organizations, and we’ve discovered that Hamas is using images of malnourished children from Yemen and AI-generated fakes.”
The military adds that: “There are illnesses in the Gaza Strip, including among children, but not due to malnutrition. There may be issues with access to food, and we need to expand aid operations to address those.”