Israel is not to blame for difficulties in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Hamas-run Gaza, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Thursday after visiting the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The border crossing is at the junction of two border sections: one between Israel and the Gaza Strip, and one between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It is the main point of entry for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The top priority is to ensure that the people of Gaza, not Hamas, are benefiting from the aid provided, stated Graham, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees foreign aid programs and the U.S. State Department.
“The goal is to feed the people of Gaza and not to empower Hamas,” Graham stated. “There have been episodes of cigarettes and other banned items included in shipments that allow Hamas to continue to make money on the black market. To some extent, this is inevitable as all are operating under difficult circumstances.”
He said any problems were the fault of Hamas, not Israel, which attacked the Jewish state on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the ongoing hostilities.
“I want to make it clear I have never bought into the narrative that Israel is intentionally starving the people of Gaza as a tool of war,” Graham said. “I blame Hamas for all the problems associated with the attack of Oct. 7 and its aftermath.
Graham said that he expected Israel to work with international organizations, and “I believe that they are.”
During his visit to the border crossing, Graham also toured an aid distribution facility operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, where the senator was able to “observe firsthand how this U.S.-backed effort delivers humanitarian assistance directly to those who need it most, and keeps it out of the hands of Hamas terrorists,” wrote Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel.
The foundation has come under fire following reports that large numbers of Palestinians have been killed near its distribution sites by the Israel Defense Forces. Several organizations, including the American Jewish Committee, have disputed those claims, stating that such reports often come from Hamas-run organizations and other Hamas sources.
“Supporting GHF was a decision made by the American government through the Trump administration, and I hope that decision will be respected,” Graham said. “I found the accusations made against GHF not to be credible, and I appreciate all they have done under difficult circumstances.”
