Israel announced on Monday, August 18, that it will provide emergency humanitarian aid to South Sudan following a cholera outbreak, although Tel Aviv continues to enforce a strict blockade on Gaza that has left its population on the brink of famine.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the package will include medical supplies, water purification equipment, and food parcels. The move follows recent diplomatic exchanges, including a visit to Jerusalem by South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mundi Samaia Kumba, who toured Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Reports in Israeli media suggested that Tel Aviv had explored the possibility of transferring displaced Palestinians from Gaza to South Sudan in exchange for investments, though Juba has firmly denied any such arrangement.
The aid announcement drew sharp attention from rights groups and international observers, given that Israel has kept Gaza’s crossings sealed since March 2, blocking humanitarian convoys and allowing in only limited supplies.
Amnesty International on Monday accused Israel of pursuing a “deliberate campaign of starvation” in Gaza, where more than 61,900 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. Israel already faces charges of war crimes at the International Criminal Court and a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. Critics argue that while Tel Aviv extends assistance abroad, its siege of Gaza continues to exacerbate suffering, leaving the enclave’s population in dire humanitarian crisis.