Terror And Chaos For Gaza's People Now Entering The ‘Death Phase'
In an alert, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, relayed desperate testimonies from its colleagues who are also struggling to survive in the war-torn enclave.
'We're in the death phase,' one UNRWA worker said. ' Everything around people at the moment is death, whether it's bombs or strikes, children wasting away in front of their eyes from malnourishment, from dehydration, and dying.'
Doctors and nurses who continue to work in the UN agency's clinics and medical centres ' are watching children disappear and die in front of their eyes, and there's absolutely nothing that they can do about it,' the worker continued.
Civilians 'faced sniper and tank-fire'
The development comes after desperate Gazans seeking aid came under fire at the weekend 'from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire', according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
In a detailed statement after the incident on Sunday 20 July, it explained that a 25-truck lorry convoy crossed the Zikim border point in northern Gaza 'destined for starving communities'.
Shortly after passing the final checkpoint after the Zikim crossing point, the convoy encountered large crowds of civilians waiting to access food supplies. This was when the shooting began, leaving 'countless' Gazans dead, WFP said, echoing reports by the health authorities.
Condemning the incident, WFP noted that the victims 'were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation'.
A great tragedy
Speaking later on Monday in a briefing to journalists in New York, WFP's director of emergencies Ross Smith called the incident 'one of the greatest tragedies we've seen for our operations in Gaza and elsewhere while we're trying to work.'
The UN agency said furthermore that the violence had happened 'despite assurances from Israeli authorities that humanitarian operational conditions would improve; including that armed forces will not be present nor engage at any stage along humanitarian convoy routes.'
Without such fundamental guarantees, it will not be possible to continue providing life-saving support across the Gaza Strip, WPF said, its reaction coming a day after a reported 36 people seeking aid were reportedly killed close to a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub run by the Israeli and US in the south of the Strip.
Deir Al-Balah evacuation shock
In central Gaza's Deir Al-Balah, meanwhile, 50,000 to 80,000 people have been impacted by a mass displacement order issued by the Israeli military – the first since war erupted on 7 October 2023.
'The new order cuts through Deir Al-Balah all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, further splintering the Strip,' OCHA said. 'It will limit the ability of the UN and our partners to move safely and effectively within Gaza, choking humanitarian access when it is needed most.'
UN staff remain in Deir Al-Balah across 'dozens of premises' whose coordinates have been shared with the warring parties. 'These locations – as with all civilian sites – must be protected, regardless of displacement orders,' OCHA insisted, as Israeli tanks reportedly moved into southern and eastern areas of the city.
According to reports, this may be where some of the remaining hostages seized in Hamas-led terror attacks on 7 October 2023 in Israel may still be held.
Gaza cut in two
The latest evacuation order means that almost 88 per cent of Gaza is impacted by displacement orders or falls within Israeli-militarized zones. Some 2.1 million civilians who have been uprooted multiple times are now squeezed into the little remaining space, where essential services have collapsed.
'There's nowhere for [Gazans] to escape. They are trapped,' said UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer Louise Wateridge. 'They cannot leave the Gaza Strip. They're trying to keep their children alive. They're trying to keep themselves alive.'
In comments to UN News, the veteran humanitarian explained that no food is available and only very limited water, explaining why so many desperate Gazans risk their lives to fetch aid from the few distribution centres and arrival points still operational.
'Children are malnourished, they're dehydrated, they are dying in front of their [parents'] eyes,' Ms. Wateridge continued. 'The bombs and the strikes are continuing; there's no way to run, there's nowhere to hide. There's no way to escape there.'
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"There should be a different way, a solution that will benefit everyone." Samah Shahin, who lives with health issues including diabetes and high blood pressure, said she and her family - including children and grandchildren - hadn't eaten for two days. "What they send from air, neither me nor the people in the camp benefit from it," she said. "The aid that arrives is stolen, we don't get to see anything from the aid … we want our share." Aid organisations said there were a few issues, including Israel blocking aid entering Gaza for weeks at a time and challenges with movement inside the strip making it difficult to distribute supplies. Israel blocked all aid entering the strip for 11 weeks, from March 2 to May 21. "The Gaza Strip has been deprived of the proper scale of assistance for months," Antoine Renard, the World Food Programme country director for Palestine who is currently in Gaza, told Radio National Breakfast. "That means that people are lacking any of the basics." Last week more than 100 humanitarian agencies warned mass starvation was spreading across the strip. The World Health Organization (WHO) labelled it a man-made crisis - a claim disputed by Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Hamas had been stealing aid and impeding its distribution, and also blamed groups such as the UN for failing to deliver the aid. Israel claimed the UN had left hundreds of truckloads of food waiting at depots inside the Gaza border - criticism the UN and humanitarian agencies have rejected. The organisations accused Israel of failing to provide safe routes for convoys to travel through Gaza, making it too dangerous for staff to pick up supplies and take them to the areas needed. The head of the UN's Palestinian aid agency, Philippe Lazzarini, described the resumption of airdrops as a "distraction" and "smokescreen". "Driving aid through is much easier, more effective, faster, cheaper and safer. It's more dignified for the people of Gaza," he posted on X. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, which conducted some of the first airdrops, also said the aerial aid was not a substitute for delivery by land. Aid agencies said more than 100 truckloads of aid had been collected since Sunday, but warned far more was needed. "This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis," said Tom Fletcher, the United Nations' Emergency Relief Coordinator, in a statement issued overnight. COGAT said 200 trucks of aid were collected and distributed on Monday. An additional 260 trucks had entered Gaza and were awaiting collection and distribution, along with hundreds of others still queued for UN pick-up, it said. - ABC News
