Israel-Hamas war, hostage negotiations, Gaza humanitarian crisis

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has claimed there are “logistical limitations” to getting aid into Gaza, and has urged “the international community to find additional solutions,” as global bodies warn of the spiraling humanitarian crisis in the region.

“Our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza. We’re sending aid into Gaza, to the people of Gaza. We are not the bottleneck,” IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari insisted in a video statement on Wednesday.

“On the contrary. We check more aid trucks than can enter Gaza,” Hagari said. “There are logistical limitations and challenges posed by the ability of international organizations to distribute aid. Which is why we urge the international community to find additional solutions, for the distribution of aid, alongside establishing field hospitals and temporary shelters, for Gazans.”

World Health Organization officials visited several hospitals across Gaza on Monday, detailing “harrowing accounts” of suffering shared by health workers and patients as the conflict widens.

Food and health crises have also engulfed the enclave, with humanitarian workers struggling to get enough resources to displaced Gazans.

Hagari reiterated in his video statement that “defeating Hamas is the only option,” after Israeli officials warned that the war will continue for several months.

“We will continue our important mission, to defeat Hamas, and rescue our hostages. We are committed to freeing our hostage from Hamas and freeing Gaza from Hamas, for a better future for the region,” Hagari said. 

Tensions between Israel and UN: The IDF spokesperson’s comments come after Israel announced that it will stop automatically granting visas to United Nations workers, adding that the country will instead process applications on a case-by-case basis.

Characterizing the announcement as “an update on the deeply problematic involvement of the United Nations in this conflict,” Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy noted that the UN had failed to condemn Hamas for hijacking aid and for waging war out of hospitals.