Israel rejects reports of humanitarian crisis in Gaza, cites rising food and water deliveries

Israeli figures on aid and water

Israeli authorities also highlighted water-supply data. The COGAT report put average water availability at about 40 liters per person per day, roughly double the emergency benchmark used by the World Health Organization. The figure, the official said, showed that humanitarian conditions had improved significantly since the truce.

The Israeli position contrasts with assessments from United Nations agencies operating in Gaza. UNICEF, the UN children's fund, said the drinking-water network reaches only up to about 1.5 million of the territory's roughly 2.1 million residents, depending on access and operating conditions. It added that 82 percent of families in Gaza are coping with water scarcity despite ongoing relief efforts.

UN agencies paint a different picture

Separately, the World Food Programme published a report on 9 July 2026 describing grave food insecurity in Gaza, underscoring the gap between Israeli claims and UN findings. The WFP report did not quantify the number of people at risk but warned that key indicators had worsened in recent months.

The exchange highlights the difficulty of verifying conditions on the ground in Gaza, where access for international journalists and aid monitors remains limited. Israel argues that the easing of restrictions since the ceasefire has allowed record volumes of aid to enter, while UN agencies say distribution infrastructure and commercial supply chains remain badly damaged.

Limits on independent verification

Israeli officials have urged media outlets to rely on COGAT data when reporting on humanitarian conditions. Humanitarian organizations counter that Israeli government figures do not capture household-level access, the cost of remaining supplies, or breakdowns in water and sanitation networks caused by the conflict.

The disagreement comes amid continuing international debate over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including whether famine is occurring or imminent in parts of the territory. Independent famine-review bodies have not issued a determination that matches either the Israeli or UN framing presented on Thursday.

Diplomatic talks on a longer-term arrangement for Gaza have continued in parallel, though no breakthrough on a sustained reopening of crossings or on reconstruction funding was reported on Thursday. The Israeli spokesperson did not address the status of those negotiations.