In a BBC interview, Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has said that Gaza is “worse than hell on Earth” as humanitarian conditions deteriorate and aid distribution is stopped for a day.
A temporary closure of its aid centres for reorganisation and efficiency improvements was announced by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a fresh Israel and US supported support distribution body. The centers are set to reemerge on Thursday. Labeling them battle zones after several deadly incidents near these places in recent days, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said movement toward the centres and nearby routes was forbidden.
According to the Hamas run Civil Defence agency, at least 12 civilians were reportedly killed in an Israeli attack on a school turned shelter in Khan Younis, in a notably horrible development.
The UN’s humanitarian head, Tom Fletcher, denounced what he called “horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or murdered simply while trying to eat.” He attributed the deprivation of more than two million people to “a series of conscious choices” and repeated calls for independent inquiries into recent deaths near aid distribution areas. He also urged Israel to open border crossings to allow vital supplies to reach civilians.
Fletcher maintained: “We have the teams, the plan, the supplies, and the expertise; hence, we must be permitted to do our jobs.”
Notwithstanding the activities of the GHF, the UN and a number of prominent humanitarian groups have declined to work with it, citing serious worries about the safety and politicization of aid delivery. While Israel maintains the project is a required action to stop Hamas from wrongfully appropriating supplies—a charge both the UN and Hamas deny—critics accuse the GHF of “weaponizing aid.”
The human cost on the ground is still growing. Za‘rab Za‘rab, an exiled father from Beit Lahia, told journalists about his situation.
