US says Israel must show no Gaza ‘policy of starvation’

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States is watching to ensure that Israel’s actions on the ground show that it does not have a “policy of starvation” in the northern Gaza Strip, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council on Wednesday.

She told the 15-member council that such a policy would be “horrific and unacceptable and would have implications under international law and U.S. law.”

“The Government of Israel has said that this is not their policy, that food and other essential supplies will not be cut off, and we will be watching to see that Israel’s actions on the ground match this statement,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

The United States has told Israel it must take steps in the next month to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave or face potential restrictions on U.S. military aid, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.

Israel “remains committed to working with our international partners to ensure aid reaches those who need it” in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters ahead of the Security Council meeting.

“The problem in Gaza is not a lack of aid. The problem is Hamas, which hijacks the aid – stealing, storing and selling it to feed their terror machine, while civilians suffer,” he said.

Hamas has repeatedly denied Israeli allegations that it was stealing aid and says Israel is to blame for shortages.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Chizu Nomiyama)