Israeli Actions Raise Concerns Over Humanitarian Aid Disruption in Gaza

KahawaTungu Editor

2 years ago

Israeli military operations in central Gaza have reportedly resulted in the tragic loss of at least 40 Palestinian lives, according to local authorities. The government media office in Gaza has urgently called on the international community to intervene and halt what they describe as a “war of extermination” targeting civilians.

Amidst these alarming events, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has declared a “breaking point” due to frozen funds from Western donors. The agency highlights the unprecedented humanitarian needs in Gaza, with concerns rising over the delivery of essential aid.

A Palestinian boy looks at bodies lying at al-Najjar Hospital. [Mohammed Abed/AFP]

Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported Israeli forces re-entering the besieged Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, further exacerbating the already challenging conditions at the medical facility.

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The conflict’s toll on human lives is devastating, with over 29,410 Palestinians killed and 69,465 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the same period stands at 1,139.

A Palestinian girl stands in a damaged building. [Said Khatib/AFP]

In the latest incidents, an Israeli air strike on a home in Rafah resulted in at least six casualties, while a 17-year-old Palestinian died from injuries sustained in an Israeli drone strike in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed a controversial plan for the future of Gaza, suggesting the installation of “local officials” to govern the enclave and an “indefinite freedom to operate” presence by the Israeli military, according to reports by the Times of Israel.

Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings following Israeli air raids in Rafah. [Said Khatib/AFP]

Amidst international reactions, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell emphasized that Israel cannot unilaterally block the establishment of a Palestinian state, stating this during the G20 summit in Brazil. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted that the “overwhelming majority of Palestinians are not Hamas” and reiterated that “Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”

International concern has in recent weeks centred on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million people forced to flee their homes elsewhere in the territory are now living in crowded shelters and makeshift tents. [Mohammed Abed/AFP]

In a separate development, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini disclosed in a letter to the president of the UN General Assembly that Israeli officials have been making a “concerted effort” to dismantle the refugee agency.

In just over four months in #Gaza, there have been more #children, more journalists, more medical personnel, and more @UN staff killed than anywhere in the world during a conflict.

It is with profound regret that I must now inform you that @UNRWA has reached a breaking point,… pic.twitter.com/JbQVk72avu

— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) February 22, 2024

Lazzarini revealed instances of harassment, including eviction attempts from its long-standing headquarters in East Jerusalem, threats to revoke tax exemption privileges, and disruptions in financial transactions.