Israel has long restricted or completely blocked aid to Gaza on the argument that Hamas steals it to use as a weapon of control
By Natan Odenheimer
Reporting from Jerusalem
July 26, 2025 Updated 1:34 p.m. ET
More than 100 aid agencies and rights groups warned this past week of “mass starvation” and implored Israel to lift restrictions on humanitarian assistance. The European Union and at least 28 governments, including Israeli allies like Britain, France and Canada, issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s “drip-feeding of aid” to Gaza’s two million Palestinian residents.
Israel has largely brushed off the criticism.
David Mencer, a government spokesman, said this week that there was “no famine caused by Israel.” Instead, he blamed Hamas and poor coordination by the United Nations for any food shortages.