Translated with AI
United Nations officials have expressed grave concern over restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza and criticized Israel's plan to centralize aid distribution only in the southern part of the enclave. International organizations say such measures could cause widespread suffering among civilians, including women, children, the elderly and the sick.
The Israeli proposal presents the enclave's residents with "an impossible choice between displacement and death," James Elder, spokesman for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), told a briefing in Geneva. He stressed that using humanitarian aid as a means of control violates basic principles of humanitarian law.
"Asking civilians to go to militarized zones to get food means exposing them to additional threats. Aid cannot be an instrument of political or military pressure," Elder said. He added that the fate of the most vulnerable groups – children, people with disabilities, the sick and the elderly – who will not be able to physically reach distribution points is of particular concern.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 80 community kitchens in Gaza have been forced to close since late April due to lack of food. The number of closures continues to grow, and the situation in the enclave is close to catastrophic.
Aid agencies say more than 3,000 trucks carrying food, medicine and fuel are currently stranded at the Gaza border. Despite the availability of resources, the blockade prevents them from quickly providing aid to those in need.
UNRWA (United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees) communications director Juliet Touma stressed that Israel is not providing humanitarian organizations with the access they need. She called for the immediate reopening of crossing points and the restoration of regular supplies. “We could feed starving children today and distribute medicine to the chronically ill,” Touma said.
WHO representative Margaret Harris denied claims that humanitarian aid was allegedly falling into the hands of armed groups. “All supplies undergo strict control and are sent exclusively to medical institutions,” she noted.
Of particular concern is Israel's plan to use facial recognition technology to obtain humanitarian aid, which Elder said violates international norms and turns aid into an intelligence tool.
The UN Special Committee to Investigate the Israeli Occupation has warned that Israel's current actions could lead to a new Nakba – a mass expulsion of Palestinians similar to the events of 1948. According to the committee, the actions of the Israeli authorities lead to "massive and indiscriminate killings, ethnic cleansing and apartheid policies."
The committee stressed that Israel had refused to allow inspection access and had failed to respond to requests for cooperation. The UN statement said "the occupation must end" and that "impunity is unacceptable."
