Netanyahu hits back at Trump’s Board of Peace over Gaza aid
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied responsibility for the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza after severe flooding devastated refugee camps.
Torrential rains have battered the Palestinian enclave in recent days, flooding and damaging thousands of tents housing people displaced by the devastating Israel-Hamas war that erupted in October 2023. Around 65% of Gaza's population, or 1.4 million people, live in tents or makeshift shelters, according to the UN.
More than 150,000 tents purchased by humanitarian organizations and UN member states are ready to be delivered to Gaza, the international body said on Monday, calling for 'the urgent lifting of all unnecessary restrictions and delays.'
Aid restrictions
The Board of Peace, a body created by US President Donald Trump to oversee Gaza's postwar reconstruction and governance, issued a statement describing Israel's response as 'insufficient.' The board urged Israel to 'act immediately to authorize and facilitate the entry of all necessary winterization and humanitarian supplies.'
Israel is working in close cooperation with the United States and the Board of Peace.
Blame game
Netanyahu's office blamed Hamas for the delays, stating that 'Hamas steals from Gazans to arm itself, systematically diverting humanitarian aid to military infrastructure while the United Nations and UNRWA turn a blind eye.'
UNICEF has accused Israel of blocking a $3 million project to repair Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin, warning that sewage-contaminated floodwaters could endanger displaced families.
The Board of Peace maintained that Israeli restrictions on humanitarian deliveries had 'significantly delayed' the decommissioning of weapons and the transfer of power in Gaza from Hamas to a technocratic Palestinian administration.
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