BBC show sparks heated debate Question Time On Thursday evening, the Israel-Gaza conflict and the delivery of humanitarian aid were discussed.
There were also angry scenes between era Columnist Melanie Phillips and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn attended a panel discussion to discuss whether the government and opposition are doing enough to help end the war in Gaza.
Phillips, a British citizen who works part-time in Israel, accused the SNP MP of “utter hypocrisy” about the situation in the Middle East during a TV panel discussion and said his views were “so distorted and untrue”.
Flynn said he watched raw video footage of the October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages. But he added that he was able to distinguish between the horrors of that day and Israel’s “unjust response,” something he hoped one day Phillips could do as well.
Claim: Food aid cannot pass through Gaza because it was ‘stolen’ by Hamas‘
During the heated discussion, Mr Flynn argued that a ceasefire should be pursued at all costs because Gazans were “collectively punished for the actions of terrorist groups” and were denied access to food, water, medicine and electricity.
However, Phillips said it was “completely untrue” that Gazans were being denied food and humanitarian aid.
“Hundreds of trucks are passing through Gaza,” she said.
“Hundreds of trucks are being stopped and unable to pass through Gaza because Hamas has stolen food.
“Gazaans themselves say so.”
Fact: There is no independent evidence of this
Israel says it will not block aid deliveries to Gaza, blaming delays on aid agency errors and accusing Hamas of diverting aid.
Israel’s Coordination Agency for Government Activities in the Territory, which is responsible for delivering aid to Gaza, said there is “no limit on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza.”
The Israeli government has said it plans to “flood” Gaza with humanitarian aid from various entry points, while the Israel Defense Forces said it had repeatedly filmed Hamas taking over aid trucks entering Gaza.
Hamas denies this and says Israel is using hunger as a weapon in its military offensive.
David Satterfield, the Biden administration’s special Middle East envoy for humanitarian issues, said last month that Israeli officials had provided “no concrete evidence of the diversion or theft of U.N. aid.”
There are growing calls for measures to avoid the risk of famine for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
The United Nations World Food Program said on Tuesday it had successfully delivered aid to Gaza City for the first time since February 20. It added: “As people in northern Gaza are on the brink of famine and we need deliveries every day, we need direct access to northern entry points.”
Aid arriving in the area has been met with chaotic scenes, with some falling into the sea late last month and people wading through water to retrieve them.
Israel launched two attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 29 people as they waited for aid, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
According to reports, an air strike on an aid distribution center in the Nuserat refugee camp in central Gaza killed eight people, and 21 people were allegedly hit by Israeli artillery fire while waiting for aid trucks at the roundabout in northern Gaza. Israel denies these claims.
On February 29, 112 people were reported to have died in Gaza City while trying to reach rescue trucks. Palestinian health authorities said Israeli forces shot and killed several people, but Israel said the victims were trampled in stampedes or run over by trucks.
CLAIM: Photos and videos show Gaza’s food markets well stocked
Asked by panel moderator Fiona Bruce if she denied there was famine in Gaza, Phillips said people could see “photos of Gaza’s stocked food markets” on YouTube.
Ms Flynn said her comments were “outrageous”, adding: “Melanie, if you want to talk about pictures, I would be happy to send you some videos of civilians being bombed and massacred”.
Reality: Clear evidence and unsubstantiated images of hunger in Gaza
Bruce said she had seen some of the videos, but they didn’t have a “time stamp.”
She said: “I’ve seen some of them. They don’t have a time stamp on them.
“I don’t know when these pictures were taken.”
Earlier this month, Adele Coderre, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “The child death toll we feared is already here and will only continue unless the war ends and barriers to humanitarian relief are immediately addressed. It could increase rapidly.”
At least 10 children have reportedly died from dehydration and malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday he would like to see the United States put more pressure on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza. “We certainly expect the U.S. government to continue to put pressure on Israel to open its borders and not (impede) humanitarian access,” he said.
“We have increased humanitarian support, but it is certainly not enough. One fact that everyone acknowledges is that there are clear barriers [of] Those who control borders provide humanitarian access [of Gaza], who is the Israeli government. ”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called on Israel on Thursday to open land crossings to allow more aid into Gaza. Currently, land transport takes place at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza and at nearby Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom.
“Israel controls another six crossing points that should be open. Trucks are queuing up to enter, but vetting procedures must be followed so that trucks can enter safely and drivers are not targeted and they are received on the other side.
“We have the ability to increase the number of trucks, but it has to be authorized.”
Claim: A ceasefire now would mean further massacres of Israelis
Phillips accused Flynn of shedding “crocodile tears” over Gaza, claiming an immediate ceasefire would mean the massacre of Israelis and Jews.
“Hamas and Hezbollah say they intend to kill all Jews and eliminate the state of Israel,” she said. “If you had your way and had a ceasefire now, there would be more massacres and more massacres of Israelis.
“The Israelis don’t want to kill Palestinians in Gaza, that’s the last thing they want. Hamas is making Gazans not only human shields, but cannon fodder.”
Some viewers gasped when Phillips said Israel was working to prevent “a second Holocaust.”
Reality: Independent agencies and other countries believe Ceasefire is the solution
Hamas has long been committed to destroying Israel, and Israel has said its goal is to eliminate Hamas.
However, more than 150 countries around the world have called for ceasefire immediatelythe European Union warned that Israel’s planned attack on the southern city of Rafah would cause humanitarian disaster.
Hamas said it presented mediators with a vision for a comprehensive truce agreement based on halting alleged Israeli aggression against Palestinians, providing relief and aid, allowing displaced Gazans to return to their homes, and Israeli forces Withdrawal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hamas’ position was based on “unrealistic demands.”
Israeli air, sea and ground attacks on Gaza have killed more than 31,000 people and injured more than 71,500 since October, according to data from Gaza health authorities confirmed by international aid agencies.
Israel claims to have all but eliminated Hamas in Gaza, although the United States says it may face “lingering armed resistance” in the coming years.
Claim: UN ‘harmed’ by links to Hamas
Several countries withdrew funding for UNRWA, the main U.N. Palestinian relief agency, because some of its staff were members of Hamas and participated in the Oct. 7 attack, hampering the delivery of aid.
Phillips repeated that assertion during the lawsuit Question Time The debate said the United Nations was “undermined” by its links to Hamas.
Reality: EU and Australia say no evidence to support Israel’s claims
The EU’s top humanitarian aid official said this week he had See no evidence from Israel Backing its accusations against staff of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the agency should continue to play a “critical” role in Gaza.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Wong Yin Yin said on Friday that the country would “lift the suspension” of funding to UNRWA and dismissed Israeli accusations that agency staff were involved in attacks in southern Israel.
“The best advice currently being given by agencies and Australian government lawyers is that UNRWA is not a terrorist organization,” she said.
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