The ICRC says that Israel has an “obligation” to meet the needs of the Palestinians who find it difficult to survive.
The humanitarian response to Gaza is on the point of “total collapse”, the Palestinians confronted with a “daily struggle to survive” in the midst of the war and the blocking of Israel of the enclave, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The ICRC issued the warning on Friday, adding urgent pleadings of international aid institutions for an agreement that would see Israel accepting a cease-fire and the reopening of humanitarian corridors in exchange for the release of captives by Hamas.
Without an immediate recovery of aid deliveries, the Red Cross “will not have access to food, medicines and vital supplies necessary to maintain many of its programs in Gaza,” the ICRC said in a statement.
Israel strictly controls all international assistance entries which is vital for the 2.3 million Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, in the middle of the bombing which moved the majority, devastated the enclave and killed more than 52,000.
Israel closed its doors to help deliveries in Gaza on March 2, two weeks before the ceasefire collapse that started in January and took place for about six weeks.
The ICRC has warned that if the blockade continues, its humanitarian operations in Gaza, in particular the distribution of food, “can only work for a few more weeks”.
Under international humanitarian law, he added, Israel has “the obligation to use all available means” to ensure that the needs of Palestinian civilians under its control are met.
“Gaza civilians are confronted with an overwhelming daily struggle to survive the dangers of hostilities, to face incessant displacement and endure the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance,” said Pascal Hundt, CICR operations manager.
“This situation should not – and cannot – be allowed to increase more.”
The United Nations have repeatedly warned of the humanitarian disaster, famine is looming while the blockade continues.
Friday, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (Undam), said that the Israeli headquarters collectively punished children, women, the elderly and men in Gaza.
In an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune, Amjad Shawwa of the Palestinian NGO network warned that the situation in Gaza is growing quickly for tens of thousands of children, and that many would probably die because of malnutrition.
Friday, Israel continued its bombing of the enclave. Medical sources have told Tel Aviv Tribune that 22 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli air raids since dawn, with attacks against the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza center and the Sheikh Radwan district northwest of Gaza City.