Israël is heading for full military and humanitarian control over Gaza, food and water almost on

In Gaza, children died again in recent days due to starvation, as a result of the continuous Israeli blockade of relief supplies. Baby Jinan Saleh al-Sakafi died Saturday at the Rantisi Hospital near Gaza City due to malnutrition and dehydration. Monday passed Youssef al-Najjar, four months old; He only weighed one and a half kilos.

Since 2 March, Israël Gaza has been putting up a blockage of all humanitarian aid again. That blockade was a violation of the Hamas file, which, in addition to the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, also had to provide more humanitarian aid. On March 18, Israel finally broke the file with the resumption of severe air strikes.

After more than two months full blockade, the food, water and the fuel in Gaza are almost finished. Bakeries will close, sucking. Meals are skipped. Food prices have increased by 1,400 percent according to the World Food Program compared to the file period.

Expansion

In the meantime, the Israeli government is heading for further military control over Gaza and the occupation of more territory. Planning for complete control over the distribution of assistance in select areas in Gaza also makes the displeasure of local and international aid organizations that can offer help but are opposed.

Last Sunday night the Israeli security cabinet decided to expand military operations in Gaza. An Israeli official told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz That the population of Gaza will again be ‘moved’ to the south. In addition, the population will be encouraged to “voluntary migration”, a euphemism used by various politicians for expulsion of the Palestinians from Gaza to surrounding countries, encouraged by US President Donald Trump.

According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli soldiers will not enter Gaza to withdraw after attacks. “The intention is the opposite of that,” said the prime minister. Families of the Israeli hostages have reacted furiously to the plan. According to them, the government places territorial gain over the lives of the Israelis who are held imprisoned by Hamas.

At the same time, the Israeli security cabinet approved a plan for the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, which will take place in zones under the control of the army, and will come into the hands of private companies.

Political interests

The UN, international aid organizations and NGOs are extremely critical of the Israeli aid plan. Not only does the auxiliary distribution be under Israeli control, following Israel’s political and military interests, also the help will only reach that part of the population that is able to go to the designated distribution zones.

Moreover, the auxiliary system that has been around for decades in Gaza – where 80 percent of the population was already dependent on humanitarian aid – by Israel opposite.

UN organs and Palestinian and international NGOs working in Gaza and wrote on the West Bank Sunday That Israeli officials attempt to dismantle the existing auxiliary system in Gaza, while the distribution of aid is limited to zones under the control of the Israeli army. The most vulnerable and less mobile part of the population will not be able to receive help in this way, and the rest of the population is forced to enter dangerous military zones, to write The organizations.

Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, said Last month that the UN cannot implement an assistance plan with which the help is even more controlled by Israel: “We will not participate in a scheme that does not fully respect humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” said Gutteres.

Emergency aid expert from UNICEF Nederland Wouter Booij explains by telephone from The Hague that it will take weeks before the fundamental objections before the Israeli aid plan is implemented, while the help is now necessary. And that has fatal consequences. “

Tons

There are thousands of trucks with relief supplies at the border crossings with Gaza, but Israel does not let anything through. At the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, UNICEF has 180,000 vaccinations, dozens of ventilation devices, and therapeutic food. Also repair equipment for water plants, which now only run at half capacity, Gaza is not allowed in.

That while, according to Booij, the aid is ‘acutely needed’. For example, therapeutic food is crucial with malnutrition. “You do not solve malnutrition by suddenly giving a child water and normal food. The immune system and the organs are already affected.”

According to UNICEF, 9,000 children with acute malnutrition have been treated or are still being treated in Gaza since the beginning of the year. The number of children currently acute malnourished is probably a lot higher.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not only due to the help that the border is not allowed, Booij emphasizes. In Gaza there is a humanitarian coordination system, in which UN and aid organizations with the Israeli army have to coordinate that they travel to an area to provide assistance there. “But only about 30 percent of the applications are granted by the Israeli army. That has huge consequences.”

Starvation

The International Criminal Court and the International Court of Appeal are currently considering various matters related to the starvation of the civilian population in Gaza by Israel.

Israel continues to claim that it is blocking the help for Gaza because Hamas would steal it. The head of OCHA, the UN organization for Humanitarian Affairs, Jonathan Whittall, said Last month that there is no evidence for that.

Experts and aid organizations point out that even though there are cases of looting by Hamas, this Israel does not relieve his responsibility for the humanitarian needs of the population in Gaza as an occupation power, and not to commit war crimes.

In recent days, food has been looted by citizens in Gaza in various places, various media reported. Aid organizations underline that the chaos and looting are the direct result of the blockade.

To share





Mail the editors