By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JERUSALEM/GAZA CITY (Worthy News) – Israel says it has started airdrops with humanitarian aid in Gaza to prevent mass starvation in the enclave after the United Nations allegedly refused to distribute food on Israeli terms.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Sunday that the airdrop “included seven aid packages containing flour, sugar, and canned food.”
IDF officials explained early Sunday that the airdrop “was carried out in coordination with international organizations and led by Cogat”, referring to the Israeli military body overseeing aid into Gaza.
The military also posted a video purportedly showing a plane dropping the aid.
It came after Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, said the U.N. is responsible for the reported hunger in Gaza due to its desire “to collaborate with Hamas, which Israel is unwilling to consider.”
He told U.S. broadcaster NewsNation that “Israel is doing everything it possibly can. The problem is our efforts are being blocked by the United Nations.”
The U.N. has denied this. More than 100 charity and human rights groups have warned of mass starvation, which they claim Israel is causing due to its blockade of Gaza. They did not mention Egypt’s ongoing restrictions on its border with the territory.
UN RESPONSIBLE
However, “The U.N. is responsible for any hunger that exists right now in Gaza,” Leiter said. “We are sitting on hundreds and perhaps thousands of trucks already ready to enter Gaza,” he stressed.
“If we continue to turn over food to Hamas, which the U.N. is doing, it means that we prolong the war. It means that Hamas becomes strengthened. It means that they can hire more terrorists. It means they continue to control the civilian population. It means that they control Gaza.”
Leiter said Israel wants to “flood Gaza with humanitarian aid” but not through Hamas. “If [crime gang] MS-13 took over a neighborhood in the United States and you had to fight MS-13 from their domination of a neighborhood, would you feed them?” he asked.
Leiter also noticed that “90 percent of aid is hijacked by the terrorist group.”
However, NewsNation cited an internal U.S. government analysis as showing “no evidence of systematic theft” of aid by Hamas. It was not immediately clear on what sources this analysis was based.
The U.N. has “blood on its hands” as it will not allow aid into Gaza without collaboration with Hamas, which runs the territory, Leiter added.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said at least 79 Palestinians were killed trying to get aid into Gaza this week.
RAISING DOUBTS
Leiter raised doubts about the reported death toll. Although the IDF has launched an investigation into possible shooting incidents, the ambassador denied that the Israeli military was responsible for the massive deaths at aid distribution points.
He said troops were firing “warning shots”, without directly targeting people.
Leiter complained that the U.N. has refused to work with the Israel and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Despite footage emerging of emaciated children, the IDF said “there is no starvation in Gaza,” calling it “a false campaign promoted by Hamas.”
The IDF added, “Responsibility for food distribution lies with the UN and international aid organizations. Therefore, the U.N. and international organizations are expected to improve aid distribution’s effectiveness and ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas.”
Despite its decision to resume aid drops, Israeli forces said its combat operations across Gaza “have not ceased”.
In a statement on Saturday, the IDF said: “We will continue to operate in Gaza to return all hostages and to defeat Hamas, both above and below ground.”
‘HUMANITARIAN PAUSES’
However, the Israeli military clarified that it was ready to implement “humanitarian pauses” of military strikes against Hamas in densely populated areas.
Before Israel decides to resume aid drops, the United Arab Emirates said it would also restart aid drops across Gaza.
UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan said that as the “humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical and unprecedented level,” his country “remains at the forefront of efforts to deliver life-saving assistance to the Palestinian people.”
Outside Gaza, Israel faced a challenge too, as the Lebanese health ministry said three people were killed in Israeli strikes on the south on Saturday despite a ceasefire.
The Israeli military confirmed that one of them targeted a fighter of Hezbollah, seen as a terrorist group by Israel and most of its allies. “The Israeli enemy drone strike that targeted a vehicle in the Tyre district killed one person”, a ministry statement said.
Israel says it will continue to attack those threatening the Jewish nation.
Regional tensions rose since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Since then, Hamas-run authorities say, some 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks.
Those figures have been difficult to verify independently.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Thousands of Jewish worshipers ascended the Temple Mount on Tisha B’Av, turning the solemn fast over the destruction of the biblical Temples into a striking display of renewed Jewish prayer at the contested holy site. The scenes underscored a profound shift now unfolding in Jerusalem, where mourning over the Temples’ destruction is increasingly joined by open calls for restored Jewish worship—and, among a growing number of activists, the rebuilding of the Temple itself.
Christians have expressed fresh concern over the safety of Syria’s religious minorities after an Alawite mother and her two young children were reportedly shot dead in the central city of Homs in an attack that has raised fresh fears of sectarian violence.
Christian missionaries told Worthy News Wednesday that their “pregnancy support ministry” in Jordan has helped nearly 200 pregnant refugee women and girls over the past year despite war, displacement and, in some cases, pressure to abort their unborn children.
Outspoken Christians and other government critics are expected to face mounting pressure after Nicaragua’s long-serving President Daniel Ortega said the Central American nation will no longer hold elections, eliminating any possibility of an electoral challenge when his current term ends next year and further consolidating the power he shares with his wife, Rosario Murillo.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced Thursday a sweeping anti-corruption drive targeting projects approved under the previous administration led by Viktor Orbán, saying the government had filed criminal complaints over projects worth about $3.2 billion while vowing not to increase security after being spat on by a passerby earlier this week.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he is nearing a decision on whether to launch a “massive attack” against Iran, warning that Tehran has not suffered enough pressure to abandon its attacks on international shipping and return to serious negotiations.
President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Senate Republicans to advance legislation requiring voters to show photo identification and provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote.