Haaretz: Israel threatens to halt aid airdrops if Gaza destruction is revealed to world

Israel has threatened to halt aid airdrop operations in Gaza if the air force participating in the humanitarian campaign took footage of the massive destruction inflicted in the Strip, Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported.

The paper said Israel has demanded that participating countries, including Jordan and the UAE, not allow the media to document the targeted areas or photograph the extent of the destruction, in a clear attempt to conceal the truth from international public opinion.

For its part, the Government Media Office in Gaza warned that Israel continues to prevent international media from entering the Strip, to cover up its crimes, especially the crimes of genocide and systematic starvation.

“If the Israeli narrative is true, why are international journalists denied entry?” the office said in a statement, stressing that preventing media coverage is a crime aimed at obscuring the truth.

The Gaza Strip has witnessed unprecedented destruction since the start of the aggression in October 2023.

The United Nations estimates that 70 per cent of the Strip’s buildings have been destroyed or damaged, while the amount of rubble is estimated at more than 40 million tons, amid a severe humanitarian crisis and a near-total collapse of infrastructure.