GENEVA – Israel is still imposing “unlawful” restrictions on humanitarian relief for the Gaza Strip, the UN human rights office said on April 16, despite assertions from Israel and others that barriers have eased.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza, triggered by the militant group Hamas’ deadly cross-border attacks on Oct 7, has turned much of Gaza into a wasteland, with hundreds of thousands of people now displaced and crowded into disease-ridden shelters.
The amount of aid now entering Gaza is disputed, with Israel and the United States saying aid flows have risen in recent days.
But UN agencies say it is still far below bare minimum levels.
“Israel continues to impose unlawful restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance, and to carry out widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure,” Ms Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, told journalists in Geneva, reiterating calls for unfettered access.
Israel, which denies hindering humanitarian relief to Gaza, has faced increased international pressure to let more supplies into Gaza since it hit an aid convoy on April 1, killing international relief workers.
“Those delivering or trying to access humanitarian assistance must never be attacked,” added Ms Shamdasani.
More than 33,000 people have been killed and over 76,000 injured in Gaza since Oct 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The war was launched in response to Hamas attacks on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 people taken hostage, according to Israel’s tally.
The UN children’s agency (Unicef) called for an increase in medical evacuations from Gaza, saying less than half of applications have been successful.
“With at least 70 children injured every day, we need the number of medical evacuations to increase so children can access the care they urgently need,” said Unicef’s Tess Ingram, describing cases of children she met who have endured gunshot wounds and amputations.
“Their shattered bodies and fractured lives are a testament to the brutality being forced upon them.” REUTERS
