"The article concludes by quoting an Israeli claim that says 4,200 aid trucks are being allowed per week. This is also a lie that should not be printed without being countered. The Israelis were supposed to let 4,200 trucks in per week (600 per day) as part of the ceasefire deal which they violate daily. We all know this never happened and it’s not happening now."
January 7, 2026
Dear Jesse Feith and Editors at the Montreal Gazette,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) about your article “Oxfam-Québec surprised to be among aid groups Israel bars from Gaza” published on January 1, 2026.
I would like to begin by thanking you for this article which conveys the dire circumstances Israel is imposing on the Palestinian people of Gaza. The new “regulations” Israel has arbitrarily created to punish the Gazan civilians further is nothing more than a continuation of their relentless cruelty.
I also commend you for leading the article with a voice from Oxfam-Quebec’s representative Béatrice Vaugrante and later in the article MSF’s executive director, Sana Bég. Both articulate the dangerous and fatal nature of Israel’s latest illegal move.
However, the article should have noted that Israel has killed over 2,000 aid and health workers in Gaza since October 2023. This fact provides necessary context for your reader as it reveals Israel’s history of fatally targeting workers supplying life giving aid and medical attention to sick and starving Palestinians. It also helps explain the aid organizations’ refusal to comply with Israel’s new requirements for staff lists.
Secondly I am also concerned that the Israeli perspective in this article is given disproportionate weight and presented largely without challenge. In light of the extensive record of Israeli misinformation exposed over the past two years, it is surprising you continue to print them unchallenged at this point in time.
In particular, the claim that Hamas has infiltrated humanitarian organizations is an allegation repeatedly advanced by Israeli officials, despite having been consistently debunked and unsupported by evidence. No substantiation is offered here, yet the claim is presented as credible.
What is most concerning is the long term effects of Israels starvation and malnutrition campaign. According to the IPC, over 100,000 Palestinian children are suffering and will continue to suffer from acute malnutrition. This is an Israeli-made catastrophe happening in real time with consequences that will persist for generations.
Finally, the article concludes by quoting an Israeli claim that says 4,200 aid trucks are being allowed per week. This is also a lie that should not be printed without being countered. The Israelis were supposed to let 4,200 trucks in per week (600 per day) as part of the ceasefire deal which they violate daily. We all know this never happened and it’s not happening now.
While I appreciate the article, I have one request.
Will The Gazette present Israeli claims as challenged in future articles and provide a counter claim to offset their usually false narratives?
Thank you for reading and I look forward to your response.
Jeff Winch