On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza and vowed that the IDF will occupy the territory it has captured in Gaza indefinitely.
Since March 2, Israel has imposed a total blockade on aid and all other goods entering Gaza, which constitutes collective punishment of the entire civilian population. Katz said that the blockade was one of Israel’s main “pressure tools” against Hamas.
“Israel’s policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza, and preventing humanitarian aid to Gaza is one of the central pressure tools that stops Hamas from using this means against the population,” Katz said in a post on X.
“No one, under the current reality, is going to allow any humanitarian aid into Gaza, and no preparations are being made to allow any aid of this kind,” Katz added.
Katz’s comments were meant to clarify an earlier statement where he suggested Israel could allow the distribution of aid “through civilian companies.” In that statement, he also said IDF troops would not leave the territory they’ve captured since Israel restarted its genocidal war on March 18.
“The IDF will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and the communities in any temporary or permanent reality in Gaza—similar to Lebanon and Syria,” Katz said. “To date, hundreds of thousands of residents have been evacuated, and dozens of percent of the territory have been incorporated into the security zones.”
He added that “in parallel” to the Israeli occupation of territory in Gaza, the “plan for the voluntary relocation of Gaza residents is being advanced,” referring to the goal of ethnic cleansing.
The Israeli military now controls more than 50% of Gaza’s territory and is working to turn the entire southern city of Rafah into a “buffer zone” free of Palestinians. The Associated Press noted that Katz’s comments will likely further complicate negotiations with Hamas since the Palestinian group is insisting it will only free the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal, terms Israel has refused.
Katz said that if Hamas continues to refuse to release the hostages under Israel’s terms, which now include a demand for the group to disarm, Israeli military operations in Gaza “will expand and move to the next stages.”
Katz’s comments come as aid groups are warning about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade and daily slaughter of Palestinians. Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), said Wednesday that Gaza is turning into a “mass grave” for Palestinians.
“Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance. We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” said Amande Bazerolle, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Gaza. “With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care.”
