Speaking on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Report” on Thursday, USAID Administrator Samantha Power said, “If Hamas accepts a ceasefire, we have trucks that can actually get to hungry people who can’t travel because of conflict or other factors… and [an] “An industrial-scale aid surge” and “Hamas hiding among the civilian population” are also obstacles to delivering aid to Gaza, but Israel needs to do more unless Hamas agrees to a ceasefire, he said.
Power said:[O]Regarding food, many trucks are arriving in Gaza and, if Hamas accepts the ceasefire, there are trucks available to deliver to hungry people who are unable to travel due to conflict or other factors. [an] “If this ceasefire happens, an industrial-scale surge in aid will be inevitable. It hasn’t happened yet, so we’re working with the IDF and humanitarian organizations. In fact, I was in meetings this week with the highest-ranking IDF commanders and humanitarian leaders to speed up the process. Finally, eight months in, we’ve seen some improvement, but it’s not enough. But we also need to reassure aid workers. As you know, more than 270 aid workers have lost their lives just trying to deliver aid, or sometimes in their own homes. This cannot happen if we want to have a sustained and credible humanitarian operation.”
She then added: “Imagine this: your job is to help civilians enduring the worst of the conflict, but you can’t meet people’s needs because your trucks are stuck in traffic and aid workers are being killed. [an] “We don’t know if it’s because of IDF operations or because Hamas is hiding among the civilians. It’s heartbreaking for them and incredibly frustrating.”
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