Israel Airdrops Aid Gaza: Six Nations Involved, Denies Starvation Claims
Israel Denies Deliberate Starvation in Gaza Amid Ongoing Hostage Talks
Jerusalem: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has vehemently denied allegations of deliberately starving the residents of Gaza,with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir characterizing such claims as a “deliberate, coordinated, and deceitful attempt aimed at accusing the IDF of war crimes.” The Jerusalem Post reported Zamir’s strong rebuttal, emphasizing the IDF’s commitment too morality and international law.
“The party responsible for the killing and suffering of Gaza’s residents is hamas,” Zamir stated, asserting that IDF soldiers and commanders operate with integrity.
Hostage Negotiations and Military Operations
Regarding the ongoing hostage negotiations, Zamir indicated that the military would continue its operations irrespective of any partial deal. He noted that the coming days would be crucial in determining whether a partial agreement is imminent. If no deal is reached, he confirmed that the fighting would persist.
IDF operations against Hezbollah
Despite a ceasefire in November 2024, the IDF has continued to conduct strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon with the objective of fully disarming the group. According to the Jerusalem Post, these operations have substantially degraded Hezbollah’s military capabilities, reducing its arsenal from an estimated 150,000 rockets and tens of thousands of launchers to just a few thousand launchers.
The IDF also highlighted that the new Sunni regime in Syria has blocked Iran’s weapon transfers to Hezbollah, a advancement the IDF considers a significant blow to the group. Furthermore, the IDF has carried out up to five strikes on cross-border areas between Syria and Lebanon.
Sence the ceasefire, the IDF has reportedly conducted over 500 strikes against Hezbollah targets. The IDF maintains that Hezbollah no longer poses a significant threat of a large-scale ground invasion, and while isolated attacks may still occur, the risk of a major, coordinated assault has been effectively neutralized.
Image 1: Humanitarian aid slides off an aircraft ramp before being dropped over Gaza from a Spanish aircraft. (Reuters)
Image 2: Palestinians carry sacks of flour taken from a humanitarian aid convoy en route to Gaza in the outskirts of Beit Lahiya. (AP)