Palestinian Red Crescent: We have an 'hit iron wall' in Gaza
The mother of a malnourished little boy who died in Gaza has told ITV News even if she could find food she couldn't afford it - as the Head of Gaza's Red Crescent told us the situation means they cannot save lives.
Warning: this report contains pictures of a very-ill Hasan which you may find upsetting.
The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent has told ITV News the aid organisation has "hit an iron wall" and that its efforts are "becoming useless", as the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to reach new lows.A near-total Israeli blockade of food, medicine and fuel is pushing Palestinians closer to starvation, Dr. Younis Al-Khatib says.His comments came as ITV News spoke to the mother of baby Hassan who died in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday.She told us that he was malnourished and that even when she found food for him in the market she could not afford it.
Hassan's death highlights both the acute shortage of food and medicine, the supply of which has been severely hampered by Israel's blockade of Gaza.Now, Dr. Younis Al-Khatib is making a plea to politicians in the UK and across the world to take action, as he feels the humanitarian community has reached the limit in what they can do to help."There is a total failure of the health system," he said. "It is a desperate situation."Only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are still open, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.Since Israel's offensive on Gaza began, at least 56,156 Palestinians are said to have been killed - of those, 17,121 were children.
However, Dr. Younis Al-Khatib says they can only estimate the true figures.
"No-one can say how many lives are lost. We only know those who try to go to hospital.. and hospitals are becoming useless."
Israel has set up its own routes aid routes – with the help of America. It says it will prevent Hamas siphoning off food and medicines.
But over the past month, such has been the crush of desperate and hungry Palestinians at these new feeding stations, that often chaos has been followed by shooting. More than 400 Gazans have died, according to the UN.
"It is a militarised system," Dr Khatib says. "These people who are there, all what they know is how to shoot.
"Their business is not about delivery.
"And what do you expect from people who are struggling? They rush into these areas. The number or the amount of goods to be delivered to them does not meet the needs."
He told ITV News the system does not meet the basic principles of impartiality and neutrality that humanitarian aid needs."This system is destroying everything, creating something new that discriminates between people, not based on the need, will make people displaced again because they have to move specific points."Without an immediate ceasefire, he said all 2 million Gazan lives are in danger.
"You go to get your food parcel and you could be shot dead... People running from their bombed houses to a shelter in a tent and they still bomb. "We are losing families… killed in tents and shelters. Every day."
He added, "Losing one human being is too much. So imagine the numbers."I was number one in mathematics in my classrooms always... but now I hate numbers. We are reduced to numbers."
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