CBS’s Duthiers to IDF: How Are You Ensuring Hamas Doesn’t Steal Aid from Civilians ‘Under the Boot’ of Hamas?

On Friday, CBS host Vladimir Duthiers asked IDF Spokesman Maj. Doron Spielman how Israel is ensuring that aid going into Gaza “is actually reaching those who need it, which are not the terrorists, but the people who are trapped under the boot of those terrorists?”

Duthiers asked, “[T]he United States has asked Israel — or has warned Israel that it faces a potential of stoppage of military support if it does not do more to allow aid into Gaza in the coming weeks. Can you explain to the American people what you are doing to ensure that, not only more aid is entering Gaza to those civilians who need it, those innocent civilians, those children, but that the aid is actually reaching those who need it, which are not the terrorists, but the people who are trapped under the boot of those terrorists?”

Spielman responded, “Absolutely, we take the United States’ concerns very seriously. I, myself, take them very seriously. And Israel takes the concerns, also, of the Gazan people very seriously. We have sent in thousands of tons of aid since the beginning of this war, and we’re continuing, even today, we had over 60 trucks of aid reach into northern Gaza. The situation is incredibly difficult, because, still, whatever remains of Hamas, their first priority is to get their hands on that aid. Also, all of the humanitarian agencies — whether it be the United Nations agencies — in most cases, have not been helpful. They’ve been unhelpful about distributing that aid. And so, it’s an incredible challenge, however, we’ve taken it very seriously, we’ve ramped up as much ability as we can to allow that aid into Gaza. I don’t want to see these pictures on the screen any more than you do. This was really Sinwar’s plan. He was hoping that he would starve his own people so that world pressure would come on Israel, and, in that respect, there has been some success.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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