While Saturday the first phase of the Stakes-Fires between Israel and Hamas ended, Israel announced that he would support an American plan for the extension of that first phase during Ramadan and the Jewish Passover, instead of transferring to the agreed second phase. As long as Hamas does not agree with this, all humanitarian aid to Gaza will be stopped. Parrows with food, tents and fuel can no longer cross the borders since Sunday.
The relief supplies in those trucks come from Oxfam, among others. Director Michiel Servaes of Oxfam Novib, the Dutch branch, is concerned about the new developments. He was in Gaza until last week to see with his own eyes what humanitarian aid Gazans need the most. What happened last weekend is “an absolute drama,” he says. “This is actually a new war crime immediately. You abuse something that is a right of people to take negotiations in a certain direction. ”
What does this mean for the people in Gaza?
“There will be no direct impact in the field of food and fuel. The necessary quantity has been brought in the past six weeks. It is also partly stored in warehouses in Gaza. In any case, our impression is that many Gazans have also installed stocks themselves in the past period. So it is not the case that if a new total blockade is announced one day, there is immediately hunger the next day.
“The question is: how long will they keep up with the stocks that have been built up in the past six weeks? Probably not that long. And there was already a huge shortage of other goods. It went too slowly, now it ends completely. That does have direct impact: that people don’t get a tent, that people still don’t get medication, that there are no building materials to get rid of debris and to build things a bit, etcetera, etcetera. ”
Has humanitarian aid been completely stopped now or can care providers themselves still enter?
“Those are two separate systems, but it is largely via the same border crossing. Most people who go in there are technical experts, so doctors or logistics experts. They go on a rotation base. They go in for six weeks and then two weeks out to relax. Everything else was stopped immediately. ”
Can’t those care providers take goods with them?
“At the moment nothing comes in at all. The care providers cannot take anything with you anyway, other than their own suitcase. ”
How was the situation in Gaza before Israel deviated from the original plan?
“What you hear is that the ceasefire has made a big difference. Food and fuel in particular entered the area to a much greater extent, which was of course incredibly nice and important for people. But it is not that there was full access of humanitarian goods, which according to international law simply has to be done.
“You saw with all kinds of goods that there was still a big shortage. The most pressing is the lack of tents, so that people have at least temporary accommodation. In addition, there is a large shortage of medicines, which means that people cannot get all kinds of essential treatments. I have heard stories from doctors who saw that someone had cancer, but chose not to tell that because they knew that a treatment was not possible. ”
And now?
“Personally, I find it very disappointing to see the lack of reaction in particular from Europe or the West. The Dutch Foreign Minister called it ‘worrying’ in a message on X. This has nothing to do with worrying, this is a gross violation of agreements and statements, with potentially many victims as a result. ”
“Trucks are still waiting with thousands. The opening of the past six weeks has not been enough to bring in all those trucks that were ready in the past year. That must continue again. What we have had in the last six weeks was a positive development compared to the time before. But it was also the absolute minimum to bring life back to Gaza. ”