DaysofPal – The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has condemned the US-Israel-backed aid delivery system in Gaza as a “lethal” and “medieval” mechanism that is contributing to mass deaths among starving civilians in the besieged territory.
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.
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