On Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” Israeli Government Spokesman Eylon Levy reacted to calls for humanitarian pauses by Israel by pointing out that, according to reporting by The New York Times, Hamas has ample supplies of fuel and other supplies for itself and calling on those pushing for a pause to demand Hamas release its own fuel.
Host Andrea Mitchell asked if Israel is concerned about the White House getting frustrated over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Levy said that Israel welcomes “the very solid support that we have received from President Biden, his moral clarity and material support as well, in explaining that Israel is dealing with a terror organization that is worse than ISIS and the U.S. will make sure Israel has everything it needs to win this war.”
He continued that Israel wants to see humanitarian aid go to Gaza and is working to increase it, but with the conditions that the resources not go to Hamas and Hamas not use humanitarian corridors to re-arm.
Mitchell then asked if there is a way to get fuel deliveries in and have pauses.
Levy responded, “Members of the international community that want to see fuel reach the people of Gaza should insist that Hamas, the governing body in the Gaza Strip, release the fuel that it already controls. … I promise you, Hamas and its tunnels underneath that hospital have all the fuel they need to ventilate those tunnels.”
He added, “Hamas has been drip-feeding fuel to these hospitals in order to keep them operational. Why has Hamas been drip-feeding fuel to the hospitals? Because it wants to continue using innocent Palestinians as human shields in order to shield the military targets that are located underneath those hospitals. That is, of course, a grave breach of international law under the Geneva Conventions, for any army — not to mention a brutal ISIS-like terror organization — to use human civilians in that way as human shields. The fuel exists in the Gaza Strip for all of the humanitarian needs, but it’s controlled by Hamas, the same Hamas that we’re concerned, if we allow more fuel into the Gaza Strip, is going to requisition those supplies anyway. And you don’t have to take our word for it, The New York Times published just yesterday or the day before, an article stating clearly, there is one group in the Gaza Strip that remains well-stocked in terms of fuel and food and all other sources, Hamas.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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