UN Official says Israel's Gaza aid system is a lethal trap for starving civilians
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, issued a scathing rebuke of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israel-endorsed aid coordination entity, accusing it of militarizing humanitarian relief and deliberately endangering lives.
'It is now the routine to shoot and kill desperate and starving people while they try to collect little food from a company made of mercenaries,' Lazzarini wrote in a post on X.
'A lame, medieval, and lethal system that is deliberately harming people under the camouflage of 'humanitarian aid' with lies, deceit, and cruelty. Inviting starving people to their death is a war crime. Those responsible for this system must be held accountable.'
The remarks come amid growing international outcry over Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza, which has left more than 55,630 people dead since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Thousands of those killed were reportedly seeking food or aid at GHF-run distribution sites.
Mass killings at aid checkpoints
According to UNRWA and media reports, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed at aid distribution points since the GHF launched operations three weeks ago. Gaza-based correspondents reported that at least 420 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured by Israeli fire near three aid sites in central and southern Gaza.
'You go there to get food, but you never know if you'll make it back,' one Palestinian told reporters, calling the sites 'execution grounds.'
On Wednesday alone, at least 47 Palestinians were killed, including 14 aid workers, further underscoring the growing dangers of accessing life-saving assistance.
Starvation as a Weapon of War
Human rights groups and UN officials have accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war. Palestinians, including children, have died from malnutrition and dehydration, while Israeli forces have reportedly restricted humanitarian access and blocked essential supplies.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has denounced the repeated killing of civilians at aid sites, calling the pattern 'unacceptable' and demanding an independent investigation.
'The needs of the Palestinian people remain unmet,' said UN spokesperson Farhan Haq at a recent briefing. 'The Secretary-General continues to call for accountability and for Israel to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law.'
UNRWA has warned that Gaza's health system is on the verge of total collapse. Forty-five percent of essential medical supplies are out of stock, and the remaining inventory could be depleted within six weeks.
Vital medicines and blood products are nearly exhausted, while fuel shortages have crippled hospitals, which depend entirely on generators to function.
'The amount of fuel in the hospitals is enough for three days only,' Gaza's Health Ministry said, blaming Israeli restrictions that prevent fuel delivery to areas designated as combat zones.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that for over 100 days, no fuel has entered Gaza, with Israeli forces denying access to fuel reserves in affected areas.
'This is pushing the health system closer to the brink of collapse,' Tedros stated.
The recent blackout, according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, was brought on by a fresh outage along one of the main routes, which was brought on by ongoing Israeli attacks on landline and internet infrastructure.
'There has been a new outage in the fiber optic line,' said Laith Daraghmeh, executive director of Gaza's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. 'As a result, there are currently no communications services in southern and central Gaza.'
The Government Media Office condemned the blackout, calling it 'a crime aimed at obscuring the truth and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.'
'The widespread and recurring interruption of communications and the internet cannot be considered a technical or accidental failure,' it said.
'Rather, it is a deliberate and premeditated crime aimed at isolating the Gaza Strip from the outside world, obscuring the truth, and depriving citizens of the most basic necessities of life, safety, communication, and assistance.'
In his remarks, Lazzarini called for the immediate reinstatement of humanitarian principles and unimpeded access for aid workers and specialists.
'Humanitarian principles must be reinstated. Experts must be allowed into Gaza to provide assistance,' he urged.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=64976
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Days of Palestine
2 days ago
- Days of Palestine
Health Ministry: 20 People Starved to Death over the Past 48 Hours
DaysofPal—The Ministry of Health in Gaza has warned of a rapidly escalating humanitarian disaster, reporting alarming figures of deaths caused by both Israeli bombardment and famine. Officials confirm that the health system is on the brink of total collapse. Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that the enclave is experiencing the most dangerous stage of famine to date, noting that 'many people are collapsing in the streets due to extreme hunger and severe weakness.' He added that 20 people have died from starvation in just the past 48 hours. Al-Bursh explained that Gaza's hospitals have been receiving an average of 100 martyrs daily for over three months, all killed by direct Israeli strikes. He further revealed that Israeli forces are killing an average of 28 children every day, highlighting a continued and deliberate targeting of civilians. The health official also warned of a major medical catastrophe unfolding in the strip, with the emergence of new diseases linked to malnutrition and contaminated water. Among the most concerning developments is the rising number of children diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barré Syndrome. At the same time, Gaza's medical facilities remain unable to provide treatment due to severe shortages in medication and medical supplies. Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed deep concern over the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza, stating that people are now 'dying from hunger' and that child malnutrition has reached catastrophic levels. The agency also warned that both food and access to clean water are critically below emergency thresholds. The Ministry of Health has called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to take immediate action to stop the massacres and lift the siege, warning that continued global silence is only worsening the tragedy and increasing the death toll by the day. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
3 days ago
- Days of Palestine
UN: Gaza Children Wasting Away Under Israeli Blockade
DayofPal – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) issued a harsh warning Sunday, accusing Israel of deliberately starving civilians in Gaza, including over one million children, by blocking vital deliveries of food, baby formula, and medicine into the besieged territory. 'People are starving,' said Carl Skau, deputy director of the World Food Programme, after a recent visit to Gaza City. 'This is the worst I've ever seen. A father I met had lost 25 kg in just two months. People are starving, while we have food just across the border.' UNRWA called on Israel to lift its blockade immediately and allow unrestricted humanitarian access. The agency specifically condemned the Israeli army's continued targeting of civilians at militarized food distribution sites run by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Since GHF's formation in late May, nearly 900 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food, according to Gaza's health ministry. In central Gaza, civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal reported a disturbing rise in infant deaths due to starvation. 'These heartbreaking cases were not caused by direct bombing but by starvation, the lack of baby formula, and the absence of basic healthcare,' he told AFP, confirming at least three such deaths in the past week alone. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) echoed these warnings, describing Gaza's hunger levels as 'catastrophic' and the situation as 'unconscionable.' In a statement posted on X, the agency said civilians searching for food are being fired upon, while children are 'wasting away,' and some are dying before help can reach them. 'We are heading into the unknown,' said Dr. Mohammed Abu Afash, director of Medical Relief in Gaza. 'Malnutrition among children has reached its highest levels. Women and children are collapsing from hunger. The coming days could be catastrophic if food is not allowed in.' According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 71 children have died from malnutrition since the war began, with over 60,000 others now suffering from symptoms of acute hunger. On Sunday alone, 18 people died of starvation, including a disabled man who succumbed to prolonged hunger and lack of care. In an overcrowded makeshift shelter in central Gaza, displaced father Ziad Musleh shared his anguish. 'We are dying, our children are dying, and we can't do anything to stop it,' he told AFP. 'Our children cry and scream for food. They go to sleep in pain, in hunger, with empty stomachs. There is absolutely no food.' Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reports a dire situation for pregnant women and newborns, with premature births and severe malnutrition rising dramatically. 'Many babies are being born prematurely due to widespread malnutrition among pregnant women,' said MSF doctor Joanne Perry. 'Wounds are not healing due to protein deficiency. Infections are lingering far longer than normal. This is a full-blown crisis.' Despite limited aid arriving since late May, the supplies stockpiled during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year have been exhausted. The Israeli blockade has remained largely sealed, worsening what humanitarian agencies now call one of the most severe food crises of the 21st century. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
3 days ago
- Days of Palestine
Starvation Devours Children's Bodies… Genocide Enters Day 653
DaysofPal—The Israeli occupation continues its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip through relentless air and ground assaults for the 653rd consecutive day, committing bloody massacres against civilians and leaving thousands dead or wounded. According to hospital sources in Gaza, 133 citizens were martyred since dawn on Saturday, including 37 individuals seeking humanitarian aid and three children who succumbed to severe malnutrition. The death toll from the Israeli genocide has now reached 58,765 martyrs, with 140,485 injuries recorded since October 7, 2023. Gaza's humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels. Two million people are suffering on every front as the occupation forces have closed all border crossings since March 2, 2025, preventing the entry of essential food and medical supplies. This blockade has triggered a widespread famine across the Strip. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has stated that it possesses sufficient food supplies to sustain all of Gaza's residents for more than three months, but the Israeli occupation is denying entry to these crucial provisions. Health authorities are raising alarms, with the spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirming that 650,000 children in Gaza are suffering from malnutrition, including 60,000 in the most critical stages, due to the complete lack of baby formula and basic nutrition. Meanwhile, the military onslaught continues unabated. Israeli artillery targeted the northern area of Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. In the east of Gaza City, occupation forces carried out demolitions of residential buildings in the Shujaiya neighborhood and shelled eastern parts of Al-Tuffah neighborhood. In a separate attack, several civilians were killed or injured when Israeli drones dropped bombs near the Sheikh Radwan reservoir in northern Gaza City. Additional artillery strikes were reported in the western regions of northern Gaza and along the eastern outskirts of Gaza City. In a tragic testament to the starvation crisis, Palestinian journalist Mohammad Abu Sa'da was transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital after suffering from extreme hunger. Elsewhere, Israeli forces opened fire east of Al-Bureij and resumed artillery shelling in Shujaiya. The Israeli army also demolished multiple civilian homes in both eastern Gaza City and the eastern parts of Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southeast. Shortlink for this post:
