Over 300 trucks of humanitarian aid were brought into Gaza by Israel yesterday, while hundreds more are sitting inside Gaza waiting to be picked up and distributed by the U.N. and international organizations.
Three fuel tankers were also brought in, while 217 pallets of aid were airdropped yesterday and today.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) today distributed over 1.1 million meals to Gazans, for nearly 110 million meals distributed to date.
"With each new day, we build on the previous day’s successes, delivering more meals to the people of Gaza, now nearly 110 million delivered to date," GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree said.
"As a result of our operational model and dedicated team of humanitarian aid staff, GHF continues to be the only reliable food aid provider in Gaza. But the humanitarian community can do much more together, which is why we continue to call on other aid organizations to collaborate with us so that we can feed more people in Gaza. Their needs grow more dire each day, and we cannot do this alone. The time for collaboration is now."
Meanwhile, also today, Israeli President Isaac Herzog held a press conference condemning Hamas' lies and the United Nations' complicity, and urging the world not to fall for "Hamas' PR campaign."
"In the last two weeks, Israel has overhauled the entire approach to the humanitarian situation... The U.N. is holding hundreds of trucks, almost 800 trucks, the U.N. can distribute and is failing to distribute...
"But instead of that, we see a PR campaign...
"We don't shy away from the humanitarian need to help the people of Gaza, but we asked the world not to fall for the lies, condemn Hamas, and say to Hamas: 'You want to move on? Get the hostages out.'"
While Israel works to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Hamas is prolonging the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians alike.
The United States must stand with Israel and increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar, Turkey and Iran to release all 50 hostages still held in captivity.
Hostage's brother speaks at U.N. meeting
Yesterday, the U.N. Security Council held a briefing on the situation in the Middle East, where Ilay David, brother of hostage Evyatar David, addressed the Council:
Watch Ilay's powerful speech below:
U.S. representative to the U.N. Ambassador Dorothy Shea said to the Council:
"The horrific videos of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski filmed by the terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad should shock and appall the world...
"Unfortunately, at a time when pressure on Hamas is more necessary than ever to free the hostages and end the war, some have instead taken steps that embolden Hamas and undermine the negotiators’ efforts. We must be clear that unproductive publicity stunts like last week’s Two-State Solution conference and unilateral announcements regarding recognition of a Palestinian state undercut the efforts of mediators and prolong the war."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also spoke at the Council, highlighting the hypocrisy of those condemning Israel. Sa'ar called out U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his silence on the plight of the hostages since Hamas and PIJ released the videos of the emaciated and abused Israeli hostages.
Amb. Huckabee on Palestinian statehood
In a recent interview, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee responded to the recent announcements from France, the U.K., and Canada that they intend to recognize a Palestinian state.
"The Europeans have it wrong. Somebody ought to be understanding who the bad guys are here and who the good guys are. And the Europeans have clearly missed the movie," he said.
Meanwhile, in a new piece in The National Interest, former senior White House official Lawrence Haas explains that, "French, British, and Canadian recognition of Palestine won’t do much to end Hamas’ presence in Gaza."
"Worse, their words will embolden Hamas, planting the seeds for more war between Israel and Gaza and condemning the people of Gaza—the very people on whose behalf these leaders profess to speak—to more suffering from committed terrorists who care far more about killing Jews than enriching Gazans...
"For those who see the region clearly and want to confront the very real hurdles to a two-state solution, it’s hard to chalk up their pronouncements as anything but a step backwards."
"Between Illusion and Imitation: The IDF and the West’s War Dilemma"
Gen. Yoav Gallant Former Israeli Defense Minister and IDF General
John Spencer Executive Director of the Urban Warfare Institute
No military is more publicly condemned today than the Israel Defense Forces.
Yet behind closed doors, few are more studied. Western generals and defense officials routinely seek Israeli briefings, request access to doctrine and tactics, and pursue cooperation on training and technology. These efforts continue even as their political counterparts issue statements of moral outrage and condemnation.
The contradiction reflects more than a double standard. It reveals a deeper divide between political perception and military reality, between external messaging and internal understanding, between illusion and experience.
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
