White House, Palestinian officials disagree on aid reaching Gaza

The White House has claimed that nearly 15,000 trucks carrying commercial goods and humanitarian aid have entered Gaza since October 10, averaging 674 per day since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire began.

White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson said that food production in Gaza has risen by 82 percent and that “eggs appeared on shelves for the first time since February.”

However, Palestinian officials and aid agencies have challenged these figures. Gaza’s Government Media Office said only 28 percent of the agreed aid has entered, about 4,453 trucks, or 171 per day, far below US claims. The World Food Programme also reported that just half the required food supplies are reaching the Strip.

Aid groups warned that despite American assurances of a “historic effort,” conditions remain dire, with severe shortages continuing to affect civilians, who describe the situation as one of “engineered starvation.”

via Al Jazeera