The United Nations on Tuesday refuted Israel’s claims that there was enough food in the Gaza Strip to last for a long period, despite the closure of all 25 bakeries in the enclave supported by the World Food Programme.
No aid has been delivered to the Palestinian enclave since 2 March.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it would not allow the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining hostages.
It will be recalled that later in March, Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza after a two-month truce and sent troops back into the enclave.
The Israeli military agency that coordinates aid deliveries, COGAT, said on Tuesday that during the truce some 25,200 lorries entered Gaza, carrying almost 450,000 tonnes of aid.
“That’s nearly a third of the total lorries that entered Gaza during the entire war, in just over a month. There is enough food for a long period of time, if Hamas lets the civilians have it,” COGAT said in a post on X.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said as far as the UN was concerned, the claim was ridiculous, stressing that they were at the end of their supplies.
“You know, the World Food Programme doesn’t close its bakeries for fun. If there’s no flour, if there’s no cooking gas, the bakeries cannot open,” Dujarric added.