The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has accused Israel of systematically obstructing aid to Gaza with the intent to “exterminate” Palestinians.
Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Territories, specifically charged Israel with intentionally hindering the use of proven UN systems to deliver aid, systematically leaving civilians in the Gaza Strip to starve.
“We can reach every family in Gaza – as we have done in the past – but we are being prevented from doing so at every step,” Whittall stated from Deir el-Balah in the Gaza Strip. He described the catastrophic conditions as “completely avoidable” and “created to kill.” Whittall asserted that Israel, as the occupying power, appears to be pursuing a policy of “exterminating Palestinians from life.”
“Death Sentence” for Seeking Food; Aid Workers Targeted
Whittall further reported that Israeli military forces repeatedly open fire on people attempting to obtain food. The act of trying to survive is often met with a “death sentence.” Since the lifting of the Israeli supply blockade a month ago, individuals searching for food have been killed “almost every day.”
The UN representative also accused the Israeli leadership of intentionally establishing food distribution centers, operated in cooperation with the U.S., in militarized zones. Personnel tasked with protecting aid convoys have also been shot. Victims have frequently been in locations inaccessible to ambulances.
Dire Conditions: Lack of Water, Spread of Disease
The report also highlights a severe lack of drinking water, due to fuel shortages for pumps and dangerous conditions rendering some wells inaccessible. Sewage is overflowing into streets, leading to the spread of diseases. Remaining medical facilities, those not destroyed, lack even the most basic necessities. Whittall noted that the population is now concentrated in just 17 percent of the Gaza Strip’s territory.
