In Gaza, the humanitarian deal between the EU and Israel collapses
Deir al-Balah, home to teams from numerous NGOs and United Nations agencies, is Gaza's humanitarian hub – the main center for aid operations to the population. Its targeting marks a new red line crossed by Israel. Until now, the area had been spared by Israel's offensive. On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned "the horror show in Gaza, with a level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times. Malnourishment is soaring. Starvation is knocking on every door."
On July 10, Kaja Kallas, the European Union's head of foreign policy, announced that an agreement had been reached with Israel to allow large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Two weeks later, this arrangement – struck in exchange for the 27 member states refraining from imposing sanctions on Israel – already appears to have been disregarded.
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