Israel considering limiting humanitarian aid to Gaza after Trump’s inauguration

Israel is considering limiting humanitarian aid to Gaza after Donald Trump comes into office later this month in a bid to deprive Hamas of resources, according to an Israeli official familiar with the matter.

Israel is considering limiting humanitarian aid to Gaza after Donald Trump comes into office later this month in a bid to deprive Hamas of resources, according to an Israeli official familiar with the matter. Since October 7, Israel has been waging war in Gaza trying to dismantle Hamas militarily, but says the militants retain governing capacity through seizing aid. Such a move risks exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. “The humanitarian aid is not reaching the right hands,” the official said, who added it was one of “several” options currently being considered. Relief organizations have consistently called for an increase in the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into the besieged strip, warning for months of the rising risk of famine for civilians. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update on Tuesday that only 2,205 aid trucks had entered Gaza in the month of December, excluding commercial vehicles and fuel. Israel disputed that number, saying there is no limit on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza and that over 5,000 trucks had entered over the course of the month, according to a statement from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which manages the flow of aid into the strip.