Israel told to ‘open the gates’, let aid into Gaza
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has called on Israel to lift its blockade of essential humanitarian supplies from entering the Gaza Strip.
“Thousands of hygiene kits are packed and ready in UNRWA warehouses in Jordan and Egypt, just waiting for the green light. Open the gates. Let aid in,” UNRWA said in a social media post.
Baby formula, food, water filters and medicines are among the items being blocked by Israel.
Medicine and medical supplies face blocks as part of Israel’s “dual-use” restrictions, where items such as painkillers and dialysis equipment are held back, ostensibly for possible Hamas exploitation in military contexts.
Other medical supplies, such as oxygen cylinders, anaesthetics and cancer medications, have also been restricted.
Aid groups report that the blanket denial of crucial medical items is pushing Gaza’s health system towards total collapse, pointing out that such restrictions are collective punishment and violations of international humanitarian law.
French Foreign Ministry decries Gaza blockade, highlights grave civilian suffering
France has condemned Israel’s expanding military offensive into central Gaza, warning that the operation is worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis marked by widespread malnutrition and an imminent risk of famine.
“France strongly condemns the extension of the Israeli offensive to the centre of Gaza, where evacuation orders have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people in Deir el-Balah and are hampering the work of numerous United Nations agencies and international NGOs,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It blamed the crisis on the blockade imposed by Israel and expressed alarm over the scale of civilian suffering.
“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the Israeli shootings targeting Palestinians in Gaza attempting to obtain humanitarian aid, which have killed more than 1,000 people in the past two months, according to the UN,” it said.
Israel slams statement issued by more than 100 aid organisations on Gaza starvation
Israel has issued a response to the statement signed by more than 100 aid and human rights groups calling on governments to take urgent action as Israel’s forced “mass starvation” of Gaza continues, including lifting all restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry published a post on X, in which it said the statement’s signatories, which include organisations such as Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Doctors Without Borders (also known as MSF), “are serving the propaganda of Hamas”.
“In this critical time of negotiations, they are echoing Hamas’s propaganda and harming the chances for a ceasefire; we urge all organisations to cease from using Hamas talking points,” it said.
The Israeli government has denied responsibility for food shortages, despite evidence to the contrary. This claim is reiterated in the Foreign Ministry’s post on X, which states that 700 aid trucks are waiting for the UN to collect and distribute their contents.
