Israeli Consul General of the Southwest U.S. says 'no humanitarian crisis in Gaza', UN says opposite
Opinion's on humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Israel is continuing to launch more airstrikes across Gaza hoping to wipe out Hamas for good. The United Nations is calling the conflict an "increasingly dire humanitarian situation" but here in Houston there are some differing opinions. FOX 26's Jade Flury has more with a FOX in Focus look.
HOUSTON - Israel is continuing to launch more airstrikes across Gaza hoping to wipe out Hamas for good. The United Nations is calling the conflict an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. Here in Houston, there are some differing opinions.
On Tuesday, FOX 26 Houston spoke with the Israeli Consul General of the Southwest U.S. about the war and what the U.N. calls a crisis, and she said there isn’t one. On Wednesday, the director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Palestinian Youth Movement in Houston said the conflict is even larger than a crisis.
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"So right now there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza," said Livia Link-Raviv, the Israeli Consul General of the Southwest U.S.
The Israeli Consul General of the Southwest told FOX 26 there is no humanitarian emergency overseas.
"Words matter and we need to be accurate. There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. And this is not me saying it, this is the United Nations agencies that are coordinating daily," said Link-Raviv.
But the U.N. is calling the humanitarian situation dire with the Secretary General calling for humanitarian aid without restrictions on Wednesday.
The director of CAIR, an organization that enhances the understanding of Islam said there’s absolutely no doubt this is a crisis.
"Let me bring facts into this case. 5,791 people are dead. If this is not a humanitarian crisis, then I’m comfortable calling it what it is, ethnic cleansing and genocide," William White, the director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
White said the 1.1 million people being displaced pose a critical threat to the safety and security of the people in Gaza.
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"Their water has been restricted, their electricity has been restricted for years, hospitals are now operating without fuel," said White.
Meanwhile, an organizer for the Palestinian Youth Movement in Houston said it’s one of the worst events in recent history and said the Consul General’s comments are just wrong.
"I would ask you to say that to the Palestinian children who are now orphaned. I would ask you to say that to the 45 families who have been wiped off the registry by Israel," said Fouad Salah, the organizer of the Palestinian Youth Movement Houston.
FOX 26 did reach out to the Consul General to speak with her again on Wednesday and give her an opportunity to respond to CAIR and the youth group, but she was unavailable. Both groups agree that a ceasefire needs to be declared—which the UN is pushing for immediately as well.