Israel: No Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
By VOA News
01 January 2009
Israel's foreign minister says there is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, despite international concerns about a rising civilian death toll.
Tzipi Livni rejected a French call Thursday for a 48-hour cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, telling reporters in Paris Israel distinguishes between Hamas militants and civilians.
She says as a result, Israel keeps the humanitarian situation "completely as it should be." She also says Israel has increased shipments of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip in recent days.
Health officials in Gaza say at least 400 people have been killed during Israel's six-day assault on Hamas. The United Nations estimates that about one-quarter of those killed are civilians.
Meanwhile, Russian officials say they are working with the Israeli military, Palestinian officials and the International Committee of the Red Cross to evacuate about 300 people from Gaza on Friday.
They say the people are citizens of Russia and other former Soviet republics.
World leaders have voiced concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. A blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt has left 1.5 million Gazans with little food or supplies. A senior U.N. official, Maxwell Gaylord, said Wednesday many families are facing a life-or-death situation.
Israel is allowing convoys of humanitarian supplies into Gaza and is letting some Palestinians into Israel for medical treatment.
Israel and Egypt sealed their borders with Gaza after Hamas seized control of the territory from the more moderate Palestinian faction Fatah in 2007.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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