The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Tuesday criticised the reported proposal of Israeli authorities to deliver humanitarian assistance through military-controlled hubs, which would violate the core principles of neutral, impartial, and independent aid delivery.
OCHA reported a day earlier that a large number of civilians were killed and hundreds more were injured over the weekend, highlighting the severity of Israeli aid blocks. OCHA warned that civilians had zero access to water pumping and sanitation systems after fuel supplies were depleted and Israeli authorities failed to facilitate attempts by rights organizations to retrieve fuel. 19 out of 27 planned humanitarian movements within Gaza were rejected at the outset, while the other initially permitted attempts were halted due to later military intervention. This comes after Israeli officials were accused of using starvation as a war tactic, with UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk urging for a full investigation into Israeli attempts at subjecting the Palestinian population to “collective punishment.”
Additionally, if aid is successfully channeled into the Gaza Strip, innocent members of aid teams run the risk of losing their lives at the hands of Israeli forces. The killing of eight Palestinian paramedics, five civil defense first responders, and a UN staff member by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) underscores the various dangers that first responders face in providing medical assistance to vulnerable Palestinians. At this juncture, it is important for concerted international efforts to halt Israeli efforts to block the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and prevent the consequent displacement of Palestinians from their home.
Although the guiding principles of “humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality” regarding aid operations are not codified in international instruments, it is endorsed under UN General Assembly Resolutions 46/182 and 58/114. It is also recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a fundamental principle to the movement’s work. Meanwhile, airstrikes have continued to become a common occurrence across the Gaza Strip, where Israel has circumvented the entry of aid and supplies for more than two months.
The proposal is part of Israel’s plans to strengthen its military offensive against Hamas, including the total takeover of the Gaza Strip and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s remarks that the Palestinian territory will be “entirely destroyed.” If the proposal is reinforced, susceptible Palestinian communities, such as those comprising senior citizens along with women, and children, would be forced to enter militarised zones to collect rations.
