New York - Saba:
The United Nations said 294 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to collect humanitarian aid from "military points" for distribution in the Gaza Strip since June 30, amid the continued humanitarian deterioration in the Strip.
This came during a briefing by Khaled Khiari, Under-Secretary-General for Middle East and Asia-Pacific Affairs, to the UN Security Council during an open debate held on Wednesday, which addressed the situation in the Middle East, with a focus on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Khiari said, "It is long past time for this war to end, for prisoners to return, for sufficient humanitarian aid to flow, and for the process of recovery and reconstruction to begin."
He pointed out that the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate amid ongoing Israeli military operations and clashes across the Strip, leading to "an increasing human cost hour by hour," calling for an immediate end to this "historic nightmare."Khiari explained that 1,891 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since his last briefing on June 30, including 294 civilians killed while seeking aid, particularly near designated military points for aid distribution.
He also noted that the Israeli occupation army continues to issue evacuation orders, causing repeated waves of displacement of residents, amid persistent food insecurity and a deteriorating humanitarian situation despite the entry of limited amounts of aid.
Khiari reiterated UN Secretary-General António Guterres' call for an end to repeated forced displacement, emphasizing that "any forced displacement from any part of the occupied Palestinian territory is a violation of international law."
In a related context, Khiari noted that the situation in the occupied West Bank is no less dangerous, with the escalation of violence linked to Israeli military operations, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties and the destruction of property and infrastructure.
He spoke about the severe financial crisis facing the Palestinian Authority, noting that Israel has not transferred approximately $2.7 billion in tax revenues, negatively impacting its ability to provide public services.He also expressed deep concern about the challenges facing UNRWA, noting that 330 of its employees have been killed in Gaza since October 7, in addition to the political and financial pressures that hamper its operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.