How does humanitarian assistance enter Gaza?
Israel denies accusations it is blocking aid deliveries as UN says people are at risk of starvation in the besieged strip.
Before Israel’s war, most of the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza were already dependent on humanitarian assistance.
After four and a half months of a total siege, compounded by an intense bombing campaign, the situation is dire.
Access to aid has been a major aspect of the conflict. First, Israel blocked it, then it maintained tight control over deliveries, and now it is accusing United Nations agencies of failing to distribute it.
At the same time, its forces attack the besieged strip from the air, ground and sea.
So, what mechanisms are in place for Israel to ensure food and humanitarian assistance reaches the millions of people the UN says are at risk of starvation?
Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom
Guests:
Andreas Krieg – Associate professor of security studies at King’s College London
Sarah Davies – Spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel and the Occupied Territories
Raymond Johansen – Secretary-general of Norwegian People’s Aid, and a former Norwegian state secretary for foreign affairs