[Bagor]

The alternative "reality of the situation on the ground" as per the EU.

Starvation is being used as a weapon of war in Gaza, the EU's foreign policy chief has claimed.

Josep Borrell described the lack of aid entering the territory as a "manmade" disaster.....

.. The quickest, most effective way to get aid into the territory is by road, but aid agencies say Israeli restrictions mean a fraction of what is needed is getting in ....

... Attention has instead shifted towards alternative routes including sea and air drops.

On Tuesday, a UN World Food Programme convoy used a land route to deliver aid to northern Gaza for the first time in three weeks.

The trucks used an Israeli military road running along Gaza's border fence, Jamie McGoldrick, UN aid coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told Reuters.

Enough food for 25,000 people was delivered to Gaza City, with WFP spokesperson Shaza Moghraby saying they were hoping to "scale up" deliveries, but "need access to be regular and consistent".

Israel says it is not to blame for Gaza's food shortages as it is allowing aid through two crossings in the south.


But addressing the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday, Mr Borrell said the humanitarian crisis in the territory was as a result of a lack of viable land routes.

"We are now facing a population fighting for their own survival," he said.

"Humanitarian assistance needs to get into Gaza, and the European Union is working as much as we can in order to make it possible.

"[The humanitarian crisis is] manmade and when we look for alternative ways of providing support by sea, by air, we have to remind [ourselves] that we have to do it because the natural way of providing support through roads is being... artificially closed.

"Starvation is being used as a war arm and when we condemned this happening in Ukraine, we have to use the same words for what is happening in Gaza."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68550937