The death of 7 foreign aid workers has led to some promises at least.
Still no ceasefire though, just more ways to prolong the suffering.
‘Unfathomable suffering’: UN outlines Israel’s new Gaza ‘commitments’
The UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Jamie McGoldrick, has issued a statement marking six months of Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.
“In recent days, Israel has acknowledged the immense scale of suffering in Gaza and its ability to facilitate the increase of humanitarian assistance to people in need. This is a welcome development,” said McGoldrick, adding Israel has committed to:
- A better functioning coordination cell will be established that links humanitarians directly with the Israeli military’s southern command.
- Plans to open Erez Crossing (Beit Hanoon) temporarily to move much-needed food, water and sanitation items, shelter and health materials from Ashdod port.
- Plans to increase the number of trucks entering through the Allenby Bridge crossing towards Gaza from 25 to at least 50 per day.
- Intent to expand operating hours of Kerem Shalom (Karem Abu Salem) and Nitsana crossings, while anticipating an increase in the number of trucks scanned by an additional 100 trucks per day.
- Deployment of additional scanner and staff capacity at Kerem Shalom crossing to accelerate the transfer of aid into Gaza.
- Assurance for approvals to activate 20 bakeries in north Gaza.
- Approval for the Nahal Oz water line in north Gaza to restart.
It's a start if any of this actually materializes on the ground. Not quite the flood of aid that's needed, but things are at least moving in a better direction. Keep up the pressure.
Reusing scalpels, operating with no anaesthesia: A doctor’s diary
In Gaza today, scalpels have to be reused in surgeries, but they’ve become too blunt to do what they are supposed to do. Medics often carry out surgical procedures without painkillers. Nearly all patients suffer from malnutrition so their wounds don’t heal.
Read here the testimony of Riyadh Almasharqah, a doctor who spent two weeks in the strip’s European Hospital.
Scrounging for leaves in Gaza to keep children alive
In Jabalia, a refugee camp near Gaza City, families scour the rubble for mallow leaves to make a thin broth to break the daily Ramadan fast. Wael Attar, a father of young girls, says his children constantly ask for real food, but there’s none to be found.
“Life has become miserable. They tell me, ‘Father, you are feeding us mallow, mallow, mallow every day. We want to eat fish, chicken, canned food. We are craving eggs, or anything,'” said Attar.
The family shelters in a school as part of the 1.7 million people displaced in Gaza. The UN and aid partners warn of “imminent famine” for 1.1 million people or half the population.
The tide is changing more inside Israel as well
Anger against Israel government intensifies with 100,000 in protests
Tens of thousands of Israelis, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, protested against the Netanyahu government in Tel Aviv and other cities demanding “elections now”. “They will not deter us, nor will they force us to stop protests until all the kidnapped people return and this terrible government falls,” said Lapid.
People chanted “Police, police who exactly are you guarding?” and “Ben-Gvir is a terrorist”, referring to Israel’s minister of national security, the Haaretz newspaper reported.
Organisers of the antigovernment protests in Tel Aviv say that 100,000 people participated in the demonstrations, according to the Israeli media.
Israelis light a fire as they protest outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Saturday
