Lisa Grande, the Biden administration’s Middle East aid envoy, allegedly issued demands to Israel about the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip during a tense phone conversation with Gen. Ghassan Alian, Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians and head of COGAT.

According to Channel 12 news, during the call, Grande insisted that Israel clarify that it is not intentionally starving the people of Gaza in the midst of the ongoing conflict, which was triggered by Hamas’s horrific attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Grande also requested that Israel revoke all evacuation orders for civilians, permit those evacuated to return home, and provide a detailed plan to minimize damage to civilian infrastructure, the report indicates.

Channel 12 further notes that U.S. officials considered the call constructive, though it reportedly surprised Alian, especially considering Israel’s recent efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Grande reportedly remarked, “There are some in our administration who believe the harm to civilian infrastructure is not proportionate,” during the call.

Alian, “stunned” by the conversation, was said to have replied, “What kind of proportionality is expected from the IDF when it is acting against a terrorist organization whose deliberate modus operandi is to fight from inside civilian areas and civilian and humanitarian facilities, including hospitals, residential buildings, UN facilities, and others, while simultaneously keeping 100 hostages in these areas?”

The COGAT chief also emphasized, “I am astounded that you raise the notion that we are following a policy of deliberate starvation. We are bringing in aid on a wide scale and without limitation, and there has been an increase in the inflow of aid since October, especially in November,” according to Channel 12.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has charged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant with war crimes and crimes against humanity, accusing them of using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinians.

Israel has consistently maintained that it has enabled the delivery of tens of thousands of aid trucks with sufficient food to meet Gaza’s nutritional needs, while blaming the UN for failing to enhance its logistical and distribution operations.

{Matzav.com}