An Israeli military official on Thursday denied the dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, as a conference to secure aid for the besieged Palestinian territory opened in Paris.

“We know the civil situation in the Gaza Strip is not an easy one,” said Colonel Moshe Tetro, head of coordination and liaison at COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body handling civil affairs in Gaza.

“But I can say that there is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip,” he told reporters at the Nitzana border post between Israel and Egypt.  

Fighting has raged since gunmen from the Islamist group Hamas poured over the Gaza border with Israel on October 7, taking about 240 hostages and leaving more than 1,400 dead, according to Israeli officials.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel retaliated with an aerial bombing and ground offensive that the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip says has killed more than 10,800 people, many of them children.

Since October 9, when Israel placed the territory under a “total siege”, only very limited quantities of basic human necessities including water, food and medicine have been allowed into Gaza.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said “the world is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe taking place before our eyes.”

Tetro showed the press where the Israeli military inspected aid entering Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah crossing, saying they helped facilitate the delivery of “water, food, medical supplies and humanitarian aid for shelters”.

“If we see that Hamas is using the humanitarian aid (that arrives in Gaza), we will stop it,” warned Tetro, whose country subjected Gaza, before the recent hostilities, to a strict 16-year blockade after Hamas came to power.

The official said more than 700 trucks have been authorised by Israel to pass from Egypt since October 21, a figure corroborated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

OCHA said 500 trucks crossed everyday into the Palestinian territory prior to the onset of the war, during Israel’s strict 16-year-old blockade.

Tetro’s remarks came as French President Emmanuel Macron opened a conference on aid to Gaza in Paris on Thursday.

Macron called for a swift “humanitarian pause” in the Palestinian territory and urged the international community to work “towards a ceasefire”

As the fighting continues, the humanitarian situation “is worsening more and more each day,” Macron said.

The United STates announced that they approved the sale of M1A2 Abrams tanks and related equipment, worth $2.53 billion to Romania, a NATO ally that borders conflict-racked Ukraine. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally which is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.

 In a significant development, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Airbus, the largest European aircraft manufacturing company, have inked a contract for the establishment of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities dedicated to the A-320 family of aircraft.

The formal signing took place on November 9 during a function in New Delhi, marking a milestone in India’s aerospace industry.

This collaboration between HAL, a premier aerospace and defence company in India, and Airbus, a global aerospace giant, exemplifies a joint commitment to furthering India’s ‘Make-in-India’ mission.

The establishment of MRO facilities for the A-320 family of aircraft on Indian soil is set to enhance self-reliance and indigenous manufacturing capabilities in the country.

Airbus’s steadfast dedication to ‘Make in India’ not only bolsters the nation’s aerospace sector but also serves as a testament to India’s burgeoning expertise in high-tech manufacturing.

These strategic partnerships have the potential to elevate India’s status as a key player in the global aerospace market.

This aligns seamlessly with the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ vision, wherein self-reliance and indigenous manufacturing stand at the forefront of economic growth and development.

Airbus’s continued investments and collaborations with Indian counterparts underscore the company’s unwavering confidence in India’s potential to significantly contribute to the global aerospace supply chain.

This collaboration with HAL marks another step forward in this direction, fostering technological advancement and fostering skill development within the country.

The establishment of MRO facilities for the A-320 family of aircraft not only signifies a strengthening of India’s aerospace infrastructure but also opens avenues for employment and skill enhancement in the region.

HAL and Airbus’s joint initiative is poised to create a positive ripple effect across the aerospace sector, further solidifying India’s position in the global arena.