The UN is alarmed by an “almost inevitable widespread famine” in the Gaza Strip. Several NGOs accuse Israel of blocking humanitarian aid despite the ICJ decision.
Several Egyptian, Qatari and Jordanian planes dropped boxes of humanitarian aid on the towns of Rafah and Khan Younes, where hundreds of thousands of Gazans have found refuge in recent months from attacks by the Israeli army.
The UN is alarmed by a “widespread famine almost inevitable” in the Palestinian enclave, particularly in the north. Since January 23, no convoy has been able to reach Gaza City, where thousands of people survive in miserable conditions, according to the United Nations.
Yet a month ago, the International Court of Justice demanded that Israel take the necessary steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. But according to several agencies, including UNICEF, the Red Cross and Oxfam, the situation there is getting worse day by day.
A concern also discussed during the last session of the UN Security Council… Two human rights groups accused Israel of continuing to block aid despite the ICJ decision.
Amnesty International says the number of humanitarian trucks allowed into the enclave has also fallen by a third.
The United States and Qatar, engaged with Egypt in mediation between Israel and Hamas, hope to obtain a truce before the start of Ramadan, which begins around March 10, allowing the release of some of the 130 hostages held in the territory.
The Israeli army says it has been focusing on the Zeitoun area of Gaza City since last week. The IDF claims to have located weapons and several Hamas fighters there.