Although the Israeli army (IDF) said on Wednesday that a hundred trucks with aid had crossed the Kerem Shalom border crossing, none of it has yet reached the Palestinians. The goods have not yet been distributed, the United Nations reports.
That is because Israel only gives the UN access via an unsafe route. As a result, organizations cannot send people to distribute the goods.
The Israeli authorities have only granted access to areas within Gaza “that we considered unsafe,” said UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. In those areas, not only are Israeli attacks possible, but there is also a high chance that the trucks will be looted.
Israel opened the border with Gaza on Monday for the first time in eleven weeks for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The country allows limited goods through, while the Gazan population is suffering more and more from hunger due to the Israeli blockade.
Five trucks crossed the border on Tuesday. It is also unclear whether they reached the Palestinians. You can see how the distribution of food leads to chaos in the video below.
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Distribution of Food Turns Into Chaos in Gaza
Al Awda Hospital Last Lifeline in Northern Gaza
In the north of Gaza there is only one lifeline left: the Al Awda hospital. But that hospital is also only partially operational. The buildings have been hit by bombings at least twenty times, leaving them largely in ruins.
Israel is still attacking the hospital now. In the past month, people in the vicinity of the hospital have been forced to evacuate three times. Medical staff refuses to evacuate, as this would endanger the patients, Relief International said in a press release. Aid workers can do less and less for the Palestinians because supplies are almost exhausted.
There is a second Al Awda hospital in Central Gaza. That is one of the last facilities that still offers some care for mothers with children. But now that supplies are dwindling and no additions are possible, time is running out.
Malnutrition is Becoming An Increasing Problem
The hospital’s nutrition services support hundreds of malnourished patients every month. But that is not possible for much longer. Children with extreme malnutrition need special food and medical care to recover, but that help is not available.
If supply chains remain blocked, these essential services will have to be discontinued within a few weeks. While more and more people need this type of life-saving support.
If this continues, more children will die in Gaza and up to 71,000 children under the age of five may suffer from acute malnutrition in the coming year, reports the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Europe Comes with Aid Package for Palestinians
The European Commission is allocating an additional 50 million euros for humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank. This is a response to the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian Territories.
The safety of humanitarian workers in Gaza must be guaranteed, says European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib (Crisis Management). With the extra support, the Commission wants to “alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians.” Lahbib emphasizes that safe access for aid workers is necessary to ensure that the aid reaches the right people.
Israel Shoots at Diplomats in West Bank
Not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank, the Israeli violence continues. The army fired warning shots there on Wednesday during a visit by foreign diplomats.
Among them was at least one Dutch national. It concerned an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All diplomats remained unharmed.
The Palestinian Authority says that soldiers “opened heavy fire” from the Jenin refugee camp. You can see diplomats running away in the video below. The IDF says that these were warning shots because the delegation did not follow the agreed route.
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