On Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” USAID Administrator Amb. Samantha Power stated that “if Hamas would just take the ceasefire, we have trucks that really could be reaching hungry people and are unable to move because of the conflict or because of these other elements…and we could do [an] industrial-scale surge of assistance” and Hamas “hiding among civilians” is also an obstacle to delivering aid to Gaza. But stated that without Hamas taking the ceasefire, Israel needs to do more.
Power said, “[O]n the food situation, we do have lots of trucks that have moved into Gaza, but this is why, if Hamas would just take the ceasefire, we have trucks that really could be reaching hungry people and are unable to move because of the conflict or because of these other elements…and we could do [an] industrial-scale surge of assistance if this ceasefire would take hold. Barring that, because it hasn’t happened yet, we are working with the IDF and humanitarian groups. In fact, I was a participant in a meeting with the most senior IDF commanders this week, with the leaders of the humanitarian community, to try to expedite procedures. At long last, it’s been eight months, there’s been some improvement, but not nearly enough. But also to make those aid workers feel safe. More than 270 aid workers, as you know, have been killed simply trying to deliver assistance or sometimes in their own homes. That can’t happen if we are to have a sustained and reliable humanitarian operation.”
Later, she added, “Imagine, again, your job is to help civilians endure the worst of conflict, and you find yourself unable to meet the needs of these people, because trucks are backed up or because aid workers are killed in [an] IDF operation or because Hamas is hiding among civilians. It’s heartbreaking and incredibly frustrating for them.”
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