Norwegian aid chief slams Israel's Gaza war as ‘destruction of a civilization'

Arab News

5 days ago

LONDON: Israel's military operation in Gaza is no longer a war against militants but has become a 'destruction of a civilization,' a top aid official said, warning that time is running out to prevent a 'biblical famine' in the besieged enclave.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said Israel's continued bombardment and restrictions on aid access have left Gaza's civilian population, particularly women and children, to suffer the consequences of a conflict they had no part in.
'What I see is that, as a military conflict, it was all over a long time ago,' Egeland told anchor Bianna Golodryga. 'This is not targeted anti-terrorist warfare, it's the destruction of a civilization now.'
The veteran humanitarian said there are no justifications for the war on Gaza, which has killed more than 60,000 people and pushed the enclave's population of 2.2 million to the brink of famine.
'Hamas has a million sins on their conscience … but those dying (and) bleeding have nothing to do with Hamas. These are women and children. They had nothing to do with Oct. 7,' he said, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an urgent and large-scale opening of Gaza's border crossings to allow full access for aid groups.
Egeland's remarks come amid growing international pressure on Israel to ease restrictions and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, as malnutrition-related deaths continue to rise. During a Saudi-French conference on Tuesday, UN experts confirmed that large areas of the enclave are now experiencing full-scale famine.
Israel has responded with efforts to increase aid deliveries including a temporary pause in military operations, partial openings of humanitarian corridors, and aid airdrops.
Egeland, however, said such efforts are not enough 'to avert a biblical famine on our watch,' criticizing the air drops and temporary corridors for offering little relief to a starving population.
While he welcomed the shifting stances of US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and other Western leaders who finally recognized the widespread starvation gripping the Palestinian territory, Egeland emphasized that the solution to avert the crisis ultimately rests with them.
'It is Israel and the Western powers that provide the arms to all of this that have to change this. They have the fingerprint all over this catastrophe really. We can change it. It's still possible.'
Despite the mounting death toll and near-total collapse of humanitarian infrastructure, Egeland said the international community still has a chance to avert the worst — but only if it acts immediately and decisively.
'It has to be a massive ramp up. And time is running out,' he warned.
On Monday, in a meeting with Starmer, Trump acknowledged that there is 'real starvation' in Gaza. The British prime minister announced the following day that the UK will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes significant steps to end the 'appalling situation' in Gaza and meets other conditions.
Egeland said Western leaders were finally acknowledging warnings that aid agencies had been raising for months.
'These capitals have known so, because we told them for many months, I'm glad it's — there is a wakeup call now. It is very late,' he said.
Addressing the humanitarian catastrophe, the NRC chief noted the collapse of the food and health sectors, saying that people were dying from preventable disease and lack of water and sanitation.
He said his NGO has been finding it impossible to provide the basic services of water, sanitation and shelter due to the total depletion of fuel and continued restrictions.
The organization, he noted, is 'still denied access for our water and sanitation hygiene items, our food and our tents.'
The aid chief paid tribute to the resilience of his Palestinian colleagues in Gaza, describing them as 'real heroes' who have endured repeated displacement, hunger, and profound personal loss while continuing their humanitarian work.
'If there is anyone I would give the Nobel Peace Prize to, I would give it to my colleagues on the ground, Palestinian, in Gaza, the single mothers who are also aid workers.
'But they're really broken now, after all of these months of starvation, all of these months of having their homes destroyed.'