Gaza - Saba:
The head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory, Jonathan Whittall, warned that the situation in the Gaza Strip has reached the stage of a "slow-burning massacre".
In a press conference held in Gaza yesterday evening, Whittall said that "civilians are being killed every day simply for trying to access food, in complete disregard for international humanitarian law," according to Quds Press.
He added, "While the world's attention is elsewhere, people in Gaza are being killed while trying to survive. Simply trying to get food has become a death sentence."
He pointed out that "since the partial lifting of the blockade more than a month ago, more than 400 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access food." He confirmed that "Israeli forces opened fire on crowds gathering near US-Israeli aid distribution sites, which are located in military-grade areas."
He noted that "many of these victims fell in places that ambulances could not reach, amid reports of missing persons who were likely killed."
Wittall spoke of an incident that occurred a few days ago, saying, "An Israeli army tank opened fire on a crowd of citizens awaiting the arrival of aid trucks, killing approximately 60 people and wounding hundreds."
He explained that "some of the wounded were also killed by armed gangs operating near Israeli army positions," stressing that "soldiers have repeatedly targeted those trying to secure aid."
Regarding the health situation, the UN official said that "the Gaza Strip is experiencing a near-total collapse of its medical system," noting that "hospitals that are still partially functioning are overburdened and subject to direct shelling and evacuation orders."
He reported that hospitals are suffering from a severe shortage of fuel, which is being strictly rationed, warning that the continuation of the blockade will lead to "more senseless and avoidable deaths."
Regarding the water crisis, the UN official noted that "wells have run out of fuel or are located in hard-to-reach areas, while pipelines are severely damaged, leading to the waste of the small quantities remaining."
He said, "Children are queuing in long lines waiting for water trucks that often do not arrive."
Whittall explained that "signs of famine in Gaza are increasing," stressing that "UNICEF data shows that more than 110 children have been admitted to hospitals every day since the beginning of this year to receive treatment for malnutrition."
He pointed out that "the small quantities of food that enter the Strip are often looted from the backs of trucks by hungry crowds or seized by criminal gangs."
The head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory emphasized that "hunger is being used as a weapon, and what we are witnessing in Gaza is forced displacement and the slow, systematic killing of people seeking nothing more than survival."
He added, "Everything I have described is entirely preventable, but what is happening indicates a premeditated determination to erase Palestinian life from Gaza."
He said, "Israel, as the occupying power, has clear responsibilities under international law, but the reality on the ground shows that it is not fulfilling any of those obligations," emphasizing "the need for clear accountability for the crimes committed."
He continued, "Today, from the heart of Gaza, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the efforts being made are not enough, as Palestinian lives, and everything that ensures their continuity, are being systematically undermined before the eyes of the world."
With American and European support, the Israeli enemy army has continued, since October 7, 2023, to commit crimes of genocide in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the martyrdom of 55,908 Palestinian citizens, the majority of whom are children and women, and the injury of 131,138 others, to date, in a non-final toll, as thousands of victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, unable to be reached by ambulance and rescue crews.
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