Geneva – Saba:
The United Nations announced on Friday that more than 600 Palestinians have been killed while trying to obtain humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip since late May, amid the ongoing blockade and the growing threat of famine.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at a press conference in Geneva that the Office had recorded 613 deaths as of June 27, including 509 killed near distribution sites run by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is supported by the United States and Israel.
Shamdasani explained that the other victims fell near distribution sites run by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations, stressing that the numbers are still being updated and verified in light of the significant difficulties in accessing the affected areas.
The spokeswoman asked:
"It is clear that the Israeli army opened fire and shelled Palestinians trying to reach food distribution points. Who is responsible for all these casualties? And how many exactly?"
Shamdasani emphasized that there are widespread doubts about the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began distributing food aid on May 26, amidst rejection and condemnation from UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations that refused to cooperate with it, considering it a violation of humanitarian principles and contributing to the implementation of the Israeli occupation's military objectives.
These developments come amid a stifling blockade imposed by the occupation authorities on the Gaza Strip since last March, and a near-total ban on the entry of aid. UN warnings that the population of Gaza is effectively facing famine, while Israeli attacks on civilians and food distribution areas continue.
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