Palestinians in Gaza say aid efforts not enough to reach those in need
'We haven't seen aid from land, air or anywhere else,' said Maryam Yahya, a displaced woman from Rafah living in Zawaida.
'Here we are, sitting by the road, receiving nothing and nothing is reaching us. We sit in tents like beggars, waiting for a kilo of flour, and no one bring it to us.'
Israel has implemented daily 10-hour 'tactical pauses' in three areas of Gaza to allow for limited humanitarian access amid rising international concern over worsening hunger.
However, the United Nations (UN) said the temporary pauses remain insufficient as risks of looting persists. The World Food Programme (WFP) has called for reliable corridors and consistent access to deliver aid at scale.
'We used to receive aid from UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). They no longer give it to us. If they had handed it over to UNRWA, they would have brought it to us. When UNRWA delivered (aid), we never lacked anything,' Yahya said.
'Aid is delivered by air. The person fears leaving the tent and having a box fall on their children,' said Ahmed Al-Sumairi, a man from Khan Younis now displaced in Central Gaza.
'Many have died due to drop (aid) on the tents. On the ground, there is no ceasefire... The situation remains the same: a siege, no food or drink.'
'They call it a "temporary ceasefire", we don't see it as a temporary ceasefire. We see bombing everywhere,' said Mohammed Al-Sumairi, displaced from Khan Younis living now in a tent in Zawaida.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would allow 'minimal' aid to enter Gaza after images of emaciated children fanned criticism of Israel and urged its allies to call for the war to end.
Israel claims it has restricted the level of aid which can enter Gaza because Hamas siphons it off to bolster its rule, though it does provide evidence.
The Israeli Defence Forces said 28 aid packages containing food were airdropped into Gaza on Sunday and that further measures would be put in place to establish secure routs.
The UN World Food Program said it had enough food in, or on its way, to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. It has said a third of the territory's population were not eating for days and hundreds of thousands were suffering from famine-like conditions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
7 minutes ago
- Euronews
Voluntary migration or displacement? Gazans face catastrophic reality
How do Palestinians see their future in Gaza and how do they view calls for voluntary migration or displacement from the Strip? In a move that sparked widespread controversy at the time, the Israeli government announced months ago that it had approved a plan to establish a special department to organise what it described as "safe, voluntary migration" of Gaza residents to foreign countries. This was done in the context of the more than 20-month war in Gaza following Hamas's attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 Israelis and captured 251 hostages. The decision was based on a proposal submitted by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, which was then approved by the Israeli cabinet. According to a statement issued by his office, the new department will be tasked with coordinating transfers in cooperation with international organisations and stakeholders. Its tasks will include supervising the organisation of departures from the Gaza Strip crossings, conducting the necessary security checks and developing an infrastructure that allows land, sea and air travel to third countries. The plan's announcement coincided with an increasingly worsening internal displacement crisis in Gaza due to the ongoing war. Human rights groups and humanitarian organisations have warned of the political and social repercussions of these policies. They say they are seen as a prelude to a forced displacement scheme under the guise of being "voluntary." An old policy renewed: From Dayan to Netanyahu The intention to depopulate Gaza was not new or linked only to the recent war. In fact, it goes back decades. On 12 June 1967, after the capture of Gaza, then Israeli Security Minister Moshe Dayan described the strip as a "complex problem", signalling Israel's negative perception of the region. During the signing of the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin expressed his wish to "go to the sea or drown in it," expressing his wish to completely separate the Gaza Strip from Israel. In the recent war, diplomatic leaks revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed, during a meeting with former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on 12 October 2023, the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to "transfer Gaza residents to Egypt." This proposal was met with initial reservations by the US. It was followed by a more strident statement from Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who said: "There will be no humanitarian crisis in Gaza if there are no civilians." Initial displacement and increasing talk of migration as the war intensifies After the war in Gaza broke out following Hamas' October 7 attack, more than 120,000 Palestinians - mostly dual nationals - were able to leave the Strip through the Rafah land crossing toward Egypt and other countries. It is estimated that the number of dual nationals in Gaza is around 300,000. This reflects a sizeable base in the population which theoretically has the option to leave. As Israel's military operations intensified, the scope of destruction expanded and famine reached catastrophic levels. There was increasing talk among Gazans about migration as a way to escape the war. On the other hand, voices have emerged which categorically reject the idea and insist on staying in the Strip despite heavy deaths and deteriorating humanitarian conditions. This reflects a deep social division over the future of Gaza and its residents under the ongoing war. Palestinians refuse to migrate despite the bombardment: 'It's easier to die here than to leave' In a simple tent in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Mohsen al-Ghazi, 34, displaced from the Juhr al-Dik area, sits and recounts his story. It's similar to that of thousands of Palestinians whose lives have been destroyed under Israeli bombardment. Al-Ghazi lost his home, his eldest son was killed and his parents died under the rubble of the house, yet he insists on staying in Gaza and categorically rejects the idea of emigration. "I will not leave this land," he says. "It is easier to die here than to give the occupation an opportunity to fulfil its lies." He emphasises that his position does not stem from emotion, but from religious, patriotic and moral conviction. He even rejects the idea of a mass exodus, which some are hinting at.** "Even if the occupation sends ships to transport us, I will not leave." Al-Ghazi expressed his regret for some young people who are considering emigration under the weight of suffering, stressing that "individual salvation means abandoning our responsibility to defend this land." "How can we repeat the mistake of the Nakba and voluntarily leave our homes?" In Nuseirat camp, Sami al-Dali, 45, echoes the same attitude despite losing half of his home to shelling. "Displacement is a failed Israeli project, and I will not be a stone in its wall." He believes that the suffering of the residents does not justify abandonment, but he does not condemn those who decide to leave, adding: "To each his own, and those who leave may return or serve the cause from abroad." Al-Ghazi and al-Dali agree that the displacement projects that the Israeli government has tried to impose have failed in the face of the Palestinians' attachment to their land. "Tell the world that we are a people who choose to die on our land and not sell it," al-Ghazi said, while al-Dali emphasised that "every stone here testifies that Palestine is not for sale." Displaced people in Gaza: 'We can't take it anymore' In light of the ongoing war and deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, Bilal Hassanin believes that the option of emigration has become an "urgent necessity" despite its difficulty. Hassanin, who lost his family home and has been displaced several times, is now on crutches after being injured near Netzarim. He says: "I lost everything. I can no longer complete my university studies, no food, no water, no electricity." "The Gaza Strip has been destroyed, and the chances of building a future here are diminishing day by day." Hassanin adds that his dream is to find a safe environment outside Gaza that will enable him to regain his life and fulfil his dreams, at a time when life in the Strip has become almost impossible. The same vision is shared by Zakaria Farajallah, who has been injured three times, causing issues with foot tendons, brain and digestive disorders. "Through my medical file, I am trying to get an opportunity for treatment abroad, and I will take advantage of this exit to seek asylum, because the Gaza Strip has become a terrifying and unliveable place." Farajallah's wife, Hanin Akl, also emphasises that staying is next to impossible, especially as she is pregnant and caring for two other children. She says: "We lost our home and have been travelling from one displacement camp to another, and my husband's injury has added to our suffering." "We urgently need to travel for a safe environment for us and our children. Hanin, who holds a bachelor's degree in laboratory medicine, said that she hopes that leaving Gaza will give her an opportunity to build a more stable future for her family. Official and international warnings The Israeli plan for the voluntary migration of Gazans has been met with widespread Palestinian rejection and international warnings. Hamas described what is being promoted under the name of "voluntary migration" as a forced displacement scheme aimed at "liquidating the Palestinian cause" and emptying Gaza of its inhabitants. In the same context, the United Nations confirmed that "voluntary migration" has no legitimacy in the context of war, siege and noted that forced displacement is a crime under international law. Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and UNRWA, have also warned that the Israeli plan threatens to reproduce the Nakba. They called for the right of Palestinians to remain on their land to be respected rather than forcing them to leave under pressure and hunger.
LeMonde
5 hours ago
- LeMonde
Recognizing Palestine: Diplomatic momentum builds one week after France's announcement
At the presidential summer holiday residence, the Fort de Brégançon on France's Mediterranean coast, where the presidential couple has been enjoying their vacation since Friday, August 1, Emmanuel Macron savored his diplomatic victory. Though he had struggled with doubt and worried about the possible reprisals Israel might foment behind the scenes, had he not ultimately been right to take the plunge? On July 24, the French president announced that he would recognize the State of Palestine in September, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Macron described his promise, which he set out in a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, as a "moral duty," at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has been orchestrating famine in the Gaza Strip and accelerating the annexation of the West Bank. France, powerless to stop the conflict in Gaza, which began after Hamas committed massacres on October 7, 2023, presented its political initiative as a path to peace, intended to revive the two-state solution that Netanyahu and his far-right ministers have rejected. Unsurprisingly, the decision angered Israel and displeased the United States, its closest ally. France had good reason to fear becoming isolated on the international stage.
Euronews
6 hours ago
- Euronews
Planes drop aid into Gaza as Israeli fire reportedly kills at least 18
Planes dropped aid from European countries and beyond into Gaza on Saturday, though both aid groups and Palestinians say changes have been only incremental. The aid comes from a coalition of Jordan-led nations, including Germany, France and Spain. To circumvent restrictions on aid trucks crossing overland into Gaza, they have orchestrated parcels being dropped from the skies. French President Emmanuel Macron said that the first French aid drop of several tonnes of food was carried out on Friday and that more would continue over the weekend. Spain reportedly dropped 12 tonnes of aid deployed in 24 parachutes. This is enough for around 11,000 people, according to Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. Germany said 14 tonnes of food and medical aid was dropped off by plane, but German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul said that 'sufficient quantities of relief supplies can only be provided to the people by land.' Both Italy and the Netherlands are set to begin airdropping aid into Gaza next week, according to the country's governments. 'We expect Israel to do more to enable humanitarian aid via land routes and to fully honour its humanitarian agreements with the EU,' Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told the Dutch parliament. 'The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must end.' Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he had given the green light to military forces for the 'transport and airdrop of basic necessities to civilians in Gaza, who have been severely affected by the ongoing conflict.' Hunger has grown in Gaza during the past 22 months of war between Israel and Hamas because of aid restrictions, humanitarian workers warn. Experts say the 'worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza.' Israel enforced a complete blockade on food and other supplies for two and a half months beginning in March. It said its objective was to increase pressure on Hamas to release dozens of hostages it has held since its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Though the flow of aid resumed in May, the amount is a fraction of what aid organizations say is needed. Situation on the ground At least 18 people were killed by Israeli fire in Gaza on Saturday, according to local hospitals. Eight of these people were reportedly aid seekers. Near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution site, Yahia Youssef, who had come to seek aid Saturday morning, described a panicked scene now grimly familiar. After helping carry out three people wounded by gunshots, he said he looked around and saw many others lying on the ground bleeding. 'It's the same daily episode,' Youssef said. In response to questions about several eyewitness accounts of violence at the northernmost of the Israeli-backed American contractor's four sites, the GHF media office said 'nothing (happened) at or near our sites.' The group's efforts to deliver aid to Gaza has been marred by violence and controversy. However, Israel and the GHF have said they have only fired warning shots and that the death toll of aid seekers has been exaggerated. An Israeli strike also hit a family house in an area between the towns of Zawaida and Deir al-Balah, killing two parents and their three children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Another strike hit a tent close to the gate of a closed prison where the displaced have sheltered in Khan Younis, killing a mother and her daughter, they said. Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions about the strikes or deaths near the aid sites. Hostage's families protest to end war Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and their supporters protested in Tel Aviv and urged their government to push harder for the release of their loved ones. US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the region Steve Witkoff joined them a day after visiting Gaza. Of the 251 hostages who were abducted when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, around 20 are believed to be alive in Gaza. The war began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians. A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date killed over 60,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry whose figure does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. The Israeli military says almost 900 of its soldiers have died since the start of the war.
