The United Nations confirmed that the restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip are still continuing, while an aid truck was looted in the center of the Strip, after the Israeli occupation army bombed a guard vehicle that was accompanying it.
Assistant spokeswoman for the United Nations, Stephanie Tremblay, said – yesterday evening, Monday – that the United Nations institutions are trying in various ways to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
She explained – in a press conference held at the organization’s headquarters in the US state of New York – that on December 20, a United Nations aid convoy was able to enter northern Gaza despite Israeli restrictions.
For his part, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said that the Gaza Strip is currently the most dangerous place to provide humanitarian support, as it has become almost impossible to deliver even a small portion of the required aid despite the enormous humanitarian needs.
Fletcher explained, in a statement, that the Israeli occupation authorities continue to prevent humanitarian workers from reaching those in need in the Strip, “as more than 100 requests to reach northern Gaza have been rejected.”
He said that the Israeli blockade on northern Gaza has “raised the specter of famine,” while the southern Strip is extremely overcrowded, “creating appalling living conditions and greater humanitarian needs come winter.”
He pointed out that the International Court of Justice issued the first set of interim orders in the case of preventing and punishing the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip about a year ago, yet the continuing pace of violence “means that there is no safe place for civilians in Gaza. Schools, hospitals and infrastructure have been transformed.” The city is in ruins.
Continuing deterioration in the West Bank
Regarding the situation in the West Bank, the UN official said that the situation there continues to deteriorate, and that the death toll in the West Bank is the highest number recorded by the United Nations.
He stressed that “Israeli military operations resulted in the destruction of infrastructure such as roads and water networks, especially in refugee camps,” adding that the increasing settler violence and the demolition of homes led to an increase in displacement and needs, and that the occupation restrictions imposed on movement hinder Palestinian citizens’ livelihoods and their access to basic services. Especially health care.
He stressed that “the United Nations and the humanitarian community continue to try to survive and provide services in the face of these increasing challenges and difficulties,” calling on the international community to defend international humanitarian law, “demand the protection of all civilians, insist on the release of all hostages, and defend the work of the United Nations agency.” Vital Relief and Works for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and breaking the cycle of violence.
Targeting and looting
In a related context, the Associated Press reported that an aid truck carrying a shipment of flour was looted in the central Gaza Strip, after a car it was guarding was targeted by an Israeli raid.
The Israeli raid led to the death of 4 security men who were inside the guard vehicle, according to eyewitnesses and officials in the medical sector in Gaza.
The agency said that its correspondent spotted people walking away from the place, carrying bags of flour, some of which were stained with blood, following the Israeli raid that targeted the guards of the aid truck.
Sources from the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations said they were facing difficulty delivering aid, including essential winter supplies, to Gaza, partly due to looting and a lack of security to protect convoys.
Israel often targets aid shipment guards, claiming they belong to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), while the authorities in Gaza confirm that this comes within the framework of the Israeli occupation policy that uses starvation as a weapon against the residents of Gaza.
Earlier this month, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said it would stop delivering aid through the main crossing into the Gaza Strip due to threats from armed gangs looting convoys. The agency blamed the collapse of the legal system largely on Israeli policies.
