The Israeli government has declared that all aid entering Gaza for distribution by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) must be sourced from Israel only.
The GHF told the Jewish News Service (JNS) that new regulations had stipulated that the food packages it distributed in the Palestinian enclave must come from Israeli companies.
“Until recently, GHF’s food items were procured and packaged in both Israel and the West Bank,” a spokesperson told the outlet. “New Israeli regulations mandate that all food items going into Gaza must be procured and packaged inside Israel, and we are abiding by that requirement.”
Neither the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the Israeli defence ministry responded to JNS inquiries.
GHF’s management of aid distribution in Gaza has come under intense scrutiny since it was first established in May as the only entity approved by Israel to distribute aid inside the blockaded enclave.
The organisation, which is also backed by the US, has been responsible for the deaths and injuries of thousands of aid seekers at its sites in Gaza, according to multiple UN reports.
At least 2,036 Palestinians have been killed and more than 15,064 wounded while collecting food or queuing for assistance at GHF sites or en route to its centres.
Israeli troops have admitted to deliberately shooting and killing unarmed Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza, following direct orders from their superiors, while witnesses have reported that US subcontractors also fired at relief-seeking civilians.
The JNS report comes as multiple indicators suggest the Israeli economy is taking a hit as a result of its genocide in Gaza, on account of growing international isolation, lack of investment and consumer confidence as well as the high number of conscripts being called away from work to fight.
Earlier this week, the European Commission also announced a proposal to suspend free trade with Israel, the EU’s largest commercial partner, citing the recent assault on Gaza City.
On Monday, Netanyahu addressed economic concerns by suggesting Israel might have to adopt “autarkic characteristics” (meaning self-sufficiency) to deal with its increasing isolation.
“Israel is in a sort of isolation,” Netanyahu said during a finance ministry conference in Jerusalem on Monday.
“I am a believer in the free market, but we may find ourselves in a situation where our arms industries are blocked. We will need to develop arms industries here – not only research and development, but also the ability to produce what we need.”
Netanyahu’s comments alarmed business and labour leaders and triggered a dip in shares on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
The Israel Business Forum said the prime minister’s policies were leading the country towards a “political, economic and social abyss”, while the leader of the Histadrut trade union warned that “Israeli society is exhausted, and our status in the world is very bad”.
Following the backlash, Netanyahu said on Tuesday that there had been a “misunderstanding” over his comments and sought to allay market fears.
[ SOURCE: MIDDLE EAST EYE ]
