Suspended Israeli spokesman’s response to Cameron’s Gaza comments, fact-checked
A prominent Israeli government spokesperson has been suspended from his role, following controversial claims he made in response to David Cameron’s comments warning over the flow of aid to Gaza.
In a now-deleted post on X, Eylon Levy criticised the comments by the Foreign Secretary, who said the flow of aid into the enclave had not increased and urged Israel to allow more trucks in to deliver vital supplies.
The UK Foreign Office then escalated the issue and asked Israeli authorities if the spokesperson’s statement reflected Israel’s official stance, according to Israeli TV station Channel 12.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed that Mr Levy, who was born and raised in London, was suspended, but did not provide the reason why.
It is not clear if the move is linked to the clash with Mr Cameron. Sara Netanyahu, the wife of the Israeli Prime Minister, had previously been attempting to remove Mr Levy from power due to his past political activities.
Before Hamas’s 7 October attack sparked the war in Gaza, Mr Levy had been involved in protests opposing the judicial overhauls introduced by the Israeli government.
Claim: Flow of aid into Gaza has rapidly increased
Responding to Mr Cameron’s remarks, Mr Levy claimed that “it is factually incorrect that the flow of aid has not increased. “Last week we had a record 277 trucks. Over the past 2 weeks, there have been nearly 50 per cent MORE food trucks entering compared with before the war.
“Israel’s crossings have excess capacity and if the UK wants more aid to enter Gaza, it should send it and we’ll make sure it gets in.”
Reality: Delivering aid into Gaza is hugely dangerous
The supply of aid to Gaza has become a major international humanitarian issue, with the United Nations recently warning that famine in the Gaza Strip is “almost inevitable” and at least 576,000 people facing severe levels of food insecurity.
Though many food trucks may be entering Gaza, getting aid into the region, which is one of the most densely populated on the planet, is incredibly dangerous for both those delivering and awaiting the packages.
In February, more than 100 people were killed after Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians approaching an aid truck in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel blamed a stampede for the deaths and said people were trampled while others were shot because they threatened troops.
Another 29 people were killed while waiting for aid in separate Israeli attacks early this month. Hamas has consistently claimed that hunger is being “used as a weapon” by Israeli authorities.
Claim: Israel allowing aid in faster than UN can distribute it
Mr Cameron has said in that while the UK supports Israel’s “right to self defence”, it has a legal responsibility to ensure aid is available for civilians.
In a separate post on Tuesday, Mr Levy claimed: “Israel is facilitating aid into Gaza faster than the UN can distribute it, and UN officials are covering up that failure by accusing Israel of not letting aid in. It’s really as simple as that.”
Reality: International bodies accuse Israel of blocking aid
Last Thursday, Oxfam accused Israel of attempting to “systematically and deliberately block and undermine any meaningful international humanitarian response”.
Oxfam highlighted how “unjustifiably inefficient” inspection rules meant that aid trucks travelling into the enclave could be subject to queues of up to 20 days.
The international charity also pointed to Israeli authorities’ policies around “dual-use” items – goods which could in theory also be used for military purposes. These could include backup generators and torches for example.
MP Alicia Kearns, head of the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said Mr Levy’s statement was the “opposite” of the information she had received from the UK Government, Egyptian government and UN.
Claim: Israel allowing unlimited quantities of aid but Hamas blocking it
In further posts, Mr Levy said that hundreds of thousands of tons of aid had entered Gaza, writing: “Israel is facilitating unlimited quantities of food, water, medicine, and shelter equipment into Gaza for civilians. Hamas is hijacking and hoarding aid.”
Reality: UN predicts famine by May
On 9 October, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant ordered “a complete siege on the Gaza Strip,” saying “there will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed”. Later that month, then energy minister Israel Katz said he opposed the opening of the blockade, and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said no aid should enter Gaza while Hamas held hostages.
Israel began allowing aid in on 21 October, but some human rights groups and legal experts say these statements and subsequent Israel’s military actions that led to a hunger crisis showed that starvation is being used as a weapon of war.
UN Secretary General António Guterres this week said a UN report that famine was projected between now and May was an “appalling indictment of conditions on the ground for civilians”.
He added: “This is the highest number of people facing catastrophic hunger ever recorded by the Integrated Food Security Classification system – anywhere, anytime.
“This is an entirely man-made disaster, and the report makes clear that it can be halted.” He said this showed the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
