Mediators hope to seal a deal within days as Hamas seeks adjustments on troop pullback, humanitarian aid, and prisoner release numbers.
By David Brummer, World Israel News
The two agreed that Israel is committed to facilitating safe access to humanitarian aid for Gaza civilians and to allowing large-scale crossings into Gaza of EU-funded aid convoys with minimal interference.
Criticism of Israel’s relief policy has focused heavily on the use of an alternative mechanism for aid distribution, relying on the US-based Gaza Humanitarian Fund to hand out goods to civilians at four depots operated inside the Israeli security perimeter.
Israel has said the system prevents Hamas from seizing the aid, thus weakening the terror group.
But Hamas’ health ministry has claimed dozens of Gazans have starved to death in the past few weeks, and hundreds more have been killed by IDF gunfire outside of aid depots.
Israel has rejected both claims, noting that there is no famine inside the Gaza Strip, while the IDF has found no evidence of soldiers carrying out the mass shootings alleged by Hamas.
In contrast, the GHF has accused Hamas of instigating violence and deadly stampede’s outside the group’s aid sites.
Kallas and Sa’ar spoke by phone Tuesday, during which Kallas related her concerns over reports of violence at GHF depots, calling on Israel to ensure it is in compliance with the understandings reached in Brussels.
After their call, Sa’ar responded to Kallas’ tweet Tuesday, pushing back on Hamas-backed accusations of mass shootings at aid sites.
“Spoke with EU High Rep. for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas about the situation in Gaza. I told her that Hamas is waging a campaign of lies, while deliberately creating friction between the civilian population, the aid distribution centers and the IDF.”
“Hamas is the one shooting civilians and torturing them when they try to collect the aid. While Israel said Yes to hostage deal and ceasefire – Hamas is dragging its feet and sabotaging the negotiations, while continuing cruelly to hold our hostages. The international community must not fall into Hamas’s trap!”
