Tel Aviv: Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Givr has once again publicly demanded a complete stop to humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, further entrenching Israel's policy of starvation and genocide against Palestinian civilians in the besieged enclave.
According to Anadolu Agency, Ben-Gvir urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and fellow ministers to reverse the decision to renew aid to Gaza, a decision he opposed in the previous Cabinet meeting. He stated on X, "It is foolish, morally wrong, and strategically mistaken for Gazans to receive supplies while our hostages suffer from hunger. The equation must be clear: Want humanitarian aid? Release our hostages."
On Monday, Ben-Gvir reiterated his stance on starving Palestinians in Gaza as part of what he described as Israel's genocidal war. Israel's Channel 14 reported that Ben-Gvir expressed that 'the only aid that should enter Gaza is for the purpose of voluntary migration,' indicating a deportation agenda to empty the enclave of its indigenous population under the guise of this conflict.
Ben-Gvir's comments came in the wake of the Israeli Security Cabinet approving an aid delivery plan for Palestinians in war-torn Gaza, facilitated through private US security contractors, based on distributing aid boxes to individuals. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on Friday that a food aid operation for Gaza is set to begin soon and will proceed without Israel's involvement.
Israel has kept Gaza's crossings closed to food, medical, and humanitarian aid since March 2, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave, according to various government, human rights, and international reports. Since October 2023, nearly 52,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza due to the brutal Israeli onslaught, with most casualties being women and children.
The International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Furthermore, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in the enclave.