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American lawmakers criticized what one of them described as Israeli arbitrariness in imposing restrictions on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which is witnessing famine, which prompted a member of Congress to call for the suspension of the transfer of American weapons to Israel.
US Senator from the Democratic Party, Senator Chris Van Hollen, said that the restrictions imposed by Israel on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip are not consistent with US policy.
The senator added - to the American Al-Monitor website - that the facts on the ground indicate that the Israeli government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu continues to arbitrarily restrict humanitarian aid.
Van Hollen stressed that Netanyahu was very clear that he stood in the way of a two-state solution, and this is one of the reasons that prompted Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to describe him as an obstacle to peace.
For her part, Democratic US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for suspending the transfer of American weapons to Israel, saying that Israeli leaders are deliberately accelerating famine in Gaza by preventing food and aid.
Cortez noted that "1.1 million innocent people in Gaza are on the brink of famine."
Stop funding UNRWA
On the other hand, The Washington Post said that Democratic lawmakers are dissatisfied with the Republicans’ success in stopping funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in exchange for passing the government funding agreement.
According to the newspaper, Democratic lawmakers believe that withdrawing American funding, which represents 30% of UNRWA’s budget, would be disastrous for civilians in Gaza.
Today, Saturday, UNRWA Director Philip Lazzarini announced that Israel prevented a food aid convoy from arriving in the northern Gaza Strip for the second time in a week.
Lazzarini warned - in a post on his account on the X platform - that the residents of northern Gaza are living on the brink of man-made famine, which can be avoided.
In this context, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said - during a visit to the Rafah crossing today, Saturday - that the stopping of detained relief trucks on the Egyptian side of the border with the Gaza Strip, where residents are suffering from hunger, in a long line is an infuriating act.
Guterres added that it is time for Israel to make a "firm commitment" to bring humanitarian goods into all parts of the Gaza Strip without restrictions.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies