Palestinians are flocking to the southern Gaza Strip as Israel expands its offensive in the center of the enclave.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have flocked to an already crowded city in Gaza’s far south in recent days, fleeing the center of the enclave, as a senior UN official on Friday criticized Israel for continuing to impose “severe restrictions” to access help.
The new criticism comes a week after the UN Security Council demanded an immediate increase in humanitarian deliveries to the besieged territory.
Israel’s unprecedented air and ground offensive against Hamas has displaced some 85 percent of the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million residents, pushing waves of people to seek refuge in Israeli-designated safe zones, which the army nevertheless also bombed. Palestinians therefore have the painful feeling that nowhere are they safe.
Almost the entire population is entirely dependent on external humanitarian aid, said Philippe Lazzarini, director of UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. A quarter of the population is starving because too few trucks enter with food, medicine, fuel and other supplies – sometimes fewer than 100 trucks a day, according to daily U.N. reports.
Drone footage taken on Friday shows a vast camp of thousands of tents and makeshift huts set up on what was a wasteland on the western outskirts of Rafah, next to UN warehouses. People arrived in Rafah in trucks, carts and on foot. Those who could not find space in the already overflowing shelters set up tents on the sides of the road, covered in mud from the winter rains.
With the new arrivals, the city and surrounding areas now have some 850,000 people, more than triple the normal population, according to UN figures.
“Some sleep in their cars, others under the stars”said Juliette Touma, UNRWA communications director.
Furthermore, South Africa has launched genocide proceedings against the Palestinians in Gaza and is asking the International Court of Justice to order Israel to end its attacks. This is the first such complaint filed with the Court in the current war. Israel quickly rejected the request “with disgust”.
The two countries have poor relations. Many South Africans, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, have compared Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians to South Africa’s former apartheid regime, which practiced racial segregation.
Biden administration again bypasses Congress for emergency arms sale to Israel
For the second time this month, the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency arms sale to Israel, as it continues its war against Hamas in Gaza under growing international criticism.
The State Department said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Congress that he had made a second emergency action covering a $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, which are needed to operate the 155mm shells that Israel has already purchased.
“Given the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs, the Secretary of State informed Congress that he had exercised his delegated authority to determine that an emergency existed requiring immediate approval of the transfer”declared the ministry.
“The United States is committed to Israel’s security and it is vital to U.S. national interests to ensure that Israel is able to defend itself against the threats it faces.”
The emergency decision means the purchase will not be subject to congressional review for foreign military sales. This type of decision is rare, but not unprecedented, when administrations believe it is urgent to deliver weapons without waiting for legislative approval.
Video. No Comment: Santa Claus climbs for sick children