'A sick joke': Taoiseach hits out at dearth of aid trucks being allowed into Gaza

Taoiseach Micheál Martin condemns Israel’s restriction of aid to Gaza, calling it a war crime and a moral outrage

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip at the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Picture: AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg

The Israeli government only permitting five aid trucks to enter Gaza is a "sick joke", Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

Five trucks carrying aid, including baby food, entered the territory of more than two million Palestinians via the Kerem Shalom crossing on Monday. Mr Martin said he believed the people of the world are “sickened and absolutely disgusted” by the level of bombing and starvation of civilians in Gaza.

“This slaughter of the innocents must stop and there’s an onus on the world at large to very significantly pressurise Israel now to cease all hostilities in Gaza,” Mr Martin said.

“We need Hamas to release all of the hostages. We need a ceasefire and a pathway to reconstruction of Gaza. The weaponisation of aid is a war crime and that is what we are witnessing here in Gaza and it simply has to stop.” 

Asked about the levels of aid allowed in by Israel, Mr Martin said that it is nowhere near the levels required.

I think five trucks instead of the 500 plus that we desperately need a day is a sick joke. I couldn’t believe yesterday the news that five trucks is allowed in.

“We know we need hundreds of trucks. I mean, people are starving.” 

Mr Martin described the bypassing of the UN by the Israeli government “reprehensible”. He said the UN has agencies within its remit that understand the situation in Gaza and who are in a position to get aid into the strip quickly, to assist adults and children suffering from starvation.

“The UN agencies should have control of the distribution of aid into Gaza and to the people of Gaza. They’re experienced, they know how to do it.” 

The UN called the five trucks being allowed into Gaza a “welcome development” but said much more aid is needed to address the humanitarian crisis.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the few trucks were a “drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed”. He said an additional four UN trucks were cleared to enter Gaza. Those trucks may enter on Tuesday, according to Cogat (Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Territories).

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During the ceasefire, some 600 aid trucks entered Gaza each day. Mr Fletcher added that given the chaotic situation on the ground, the UN expects the aid could be looted or stolen.

He urged Israel to open multiple crossings in northern and southern Gaza to permit a regular flow of aid. The UN has also warned that 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in the next 48 hours without aid.