Israel’s military operations and blockade of humanitarian aid worsen Palestinian situation

AFP | Geneva

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Medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF) yesterday said Israel’s military operations and blockage of humanitarian aid had turned Gaza into a graveyard for Palestinians and those helping them.

Israel, fighting in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, resumed operations in the Palestinian territory in March after the collapse of a two-month-old ceasefire amid differences over the next phase. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, with Israel blocking humanitarian aid since March 2, before the truce disintegrated.

Medical supplies, fuel, water and other essentials are in short supply, the UN says.

“Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance,” said MSF coordinator Amande Bazerolle.

Last month, Israeli forces opened fire on ambulances in Gaza, killing 15 medics and rescuers in an incident that sparked international condemnation.

“We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” Bazerolle added.

“With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care,” she said. Israel yesterday announced that it had converted 30 percent of Gaza’s territory into a buffer zone as it pressed its unrelenting military offensive, vowing to maintain its blockade on humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged territory.

Israel resumed air and ground attacks across the Gaza Strip on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas that had largely halted hostilities, with rescuers yesterday saying at least 11 were killed in strikes across the Palestinian territory.

The UN said an estimated 500,000 Palestinians have been displaced since the end of the Gaza ceasefire, triggering what it described as one of the most severe humanitarian crises the territory has faced in more than 18 months of war. The Israeli military yesterday said that as part of its resumed operations, it had “achieved full operational control over several key areas and routes throughout the Gaza Strip”.