Warnings of apocalypse in Gaza blocked by US envoys in Israel

At the beginning of 2024, employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) warned that northern Gaza had been turned into an "apocalyptic wasteland" following the Israeli offensive.

They reported seeing human thigh bones and other bones on the roads, dead bodies abandoned in cars, and "catastrophic human needs, especially in terms of food and safe drinking water."

However, an internal telegram based on UN humanitarian missions was blocked by US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew and his deputy Stephanie Hallett. They claimed the report was "unbalanced." Four other dispatches met the same fate.

According to six former US officials, the US government ignored or edited humanitarian reports so as not to undermine official support for Israel. Concerns about a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza were thus "sidelined."

The USAID telegrams could affect the validity of the National Security Memorandum, which makes US aid to Israel conditional on compliance with international law.

Sources say the documents show that humanitarian expertise was suppressed in favor of political goals. The cables were based on UN data, but some White House officials questioned their credibility because they differed from the Israeli narrative.

Despite strong evidence of impending famine and the collapse of basic infrastructure, information reached top US officials only in a limited way.

(reuters, max)