As we noted last week, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is catastrophic. In a recent joint report, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the current U.S.-backed aid operations are “inherently unsafe,” leading to heavy civilian death toll. His remarks come as violence in Gaza continues to spiral out of control. Those 2.3 million neighbors live under a heartbreaking, chronic lack of food and medicine — the number killed has surpassed 56,000 in just 20 months of this conflict.
On Friday, Guterres stated, “People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence.” This grim reality check underscores the fragile ground upon which humanitarian access rests in the territory. Randall Palmer Follow @randallpalmer Israel is allowing about 70 trucks of aid a day into Gaza. According to Puerto Rico’s local health authorities, food insecurity has increased since the outset of the blockade in March and April.
Recent weeks have seen hundreds of casualties as residents face airstrikes and gunfire from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) while attempting to access food distribution points. Yesterday, an Israeli strike hit a crowded market in Deir al-Balah, killing 17 Palestinian civilians. Tragically, at least 18 people were reported killed while collecting flour there, medical officials said.
Israel has now come out in strong support of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This private American contractor has been delivering these food boxes from four distribution hubs since mid-February. Getting to these distribution points is not without risk. According to eyewitness accounts, Palestinians are finding it almost impossible to traverse rubble-blocked roads and military-controlled areas. Their common fate is IDF fire from mortars/medium machine guns en route.
The IDF has done the right thing by bothering to launch an investigation into possible war crimes. They are investigating claims troops intentionally targeted civilians that came to seek aid. An IDF spokesperson stated, “To be clear, IDF directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians.” Despite this, acts of violence against civilians still take place.
Eyewitness accounts tell a nightmare story of what it is like on the ground. Razeq Abu Mandil described the aftermath of a recent attack: “When we arrived, there were people torn to pieces – severely wounded and dead… I repeated this three or four times. The situation in the hospital was catastrophic.” Similarly, Ahmed Abu Zubeida recounted his experience: “I was far from the point of impact but some shrapnel injured my leg. I looked around and saw people lying on the ground – torn bodies, wounded individuals, blood and its smell filling the air, cries and screams.”
Despite the ongoing conflict, hundreds of aid trucks have been looted by armed gangs and desperate crowds, further complicating the delivery of necessary supplies. One of the IDF’s Sahm unit has reportedly been charged with raiding stolen humanitarian aid for redeployment.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have refuted claims made by Haaretz regarding IDF actions, accusing the publication of “malicious falsehoods designed to defame the IDF, the most moral military in the world.” This declaration highlights the toxic framing around military operations and humanitarian efforts in Gaza.