Israel sharply criticized UN aid chief Tom Fletcher after he urged the UN Security Council to take decisive action to "prevent genocide" in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated under a prolonged Israeli aid blockade. Fletcher’s remarks came amid growing international concern over looming famine in the Palestinian enclave, with 9,000 aid trucks—half carrying food—cleared by Israeli authorities but still blocked from entry since March 2.
In response, Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused Fletcher of making an unsubstantiated and politically charged claim. “You had the audacity to invoke genocide without evidence or mandate,” Danon stated in a letter Friday, calling the comments a breach of neutrality and an abuse of his UN position.
Fletcher defended his statement, asserting the UN's duty to report humanitarian realities honestly and without bias. He emphasized that aid distribution mechanisms are in place to ensure supplies reach civilians and not Hamas, which Israel accuses of diverting assistance—an allegation the group denies.
The ongoing conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took around 250 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has since resulted in over 53,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health officials. The UN and humanitarian groups warn that famine could impact more than 500,000 Gazans—roughly a quarter of the population—if the blockade continues.
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the crisis, stating Friday, “a lot of people are starving in Gaza.”
Fletcher appealed to Israel to lift the restrictions, saying the UN demonstrated its capacity to deliver aid effectively during past ceasefires. “Please let us do our work,” he urged, stressing the urgency of avoiding mass starvation and upholding international humanitarian law.