By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Israel has weaponised the Gaza aid system: Senior UN official

“It looks like the aid system has been weaponised, and as a result of this, what we can provide to people is only a fraction of what they truly need,” said Georgios Petropoulos, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) sub-office in Gaza.

Speaking during a virtual news conference, the UN official said Israeli authorities “seem unwilling” to open checkpoints, hampering the delivery of vital supplies.

He also noted that convoys trying to cross into southern Gaza are often looted in areas that are under the control of the Israeli army.

The result is that aid workers have to make “horrible” choices each day. "Should I let people die of starvation or the cold? Do we bring in more food to ease hunger or more plastic sheets for shelter?” said Petropoulos. “Famine is very likely already here.”



‘The only remaining colonialist country is Israel’ – Gideon Levy

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Israel has conducted air strikes across Syria and seized territory in the occupied Golan Heights in violation of a 50-year ceasefire.

And as Israel continues its war in Gaza and maintains its occupation of the West Bank, Israel’s attacks on Syria raise questions about its regional strategies.

So what’s Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s endgame in Syria? Will Israel interfere with Syria’s transitional government and further expand its territory?

This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill talks to author and columnist Gideon Levy: