Every morning, thousands of exhaustos Palestinians, many of them on an empty stomach for days, congregate alongside the distribution positions managed by the Humanitarian Foundation for Gaza (GHF), an organization backed by Israel and the United States. Some walk for hours from the north of the enclave; Others push cars, carry children or arrive in motorcycles. Everyone is looking for the same: food. And more and more frequently, many do not return alive.
Only this Sunday, at least 81 Gazati died from shooting of the Israeli army in Beit Lahia, a town of the north end of the strip located a few kilometers from the passage of Erez, according to data from the Ministry of Palestinian Health. The victims waited for the arrival of trucks with flour in the vicinity of the Zikim military position. Another 150 were injured, many seriously. Doctors from the Shifa hospital indicated that a good part of those admitted had gunshot wounds in head, chest or abdomen, including several minors. The emergency doctor Noor Sharf underlined the EFE agency a pattern that is repeated: “On the days in which there is cast, most victims arrive shot. On the days in which there is no cast, they arrive malnourished or with explosive injuries.”
Distribution under fire
The World Food Program (PMA) has denounced that the shooting in Beit Lahia this Sunday occurred despite the previous guarantees of the Israeli government that its forces would not intervene in the routes of the humanitarian convoy. “The violent incident today occurs despite the guarantees of the Israeli authorities that the conditions of humanitarian operations would improve; among them, that the Armed Forces will not be present or intervene at any time throughout the routes of the convoys,” denounced the body in a statement.
According to PMA, the convoy, composed of 25 help trucks, had just crossed the passage of Zikim when a desperate crowd approached to try food. It was then that Israeli tanks, snipers and troops opened fire against the civilian population. “The PMA teams that accompany the convoys should not have to risk their own lives to save others,” warned the agency, which no longer rule out suspending its activity if basic security is not guaranteed for cooperators and beneficiaries. “Without these fundamental conditions, we cannot continue to provide vital help throughout the Gaza Strip.”
The figures reflect the scope of the disaster. Since the Humanitarian Foundation for Gaza (GHF) began operating at the end of May, almost 1,000 people have died, more than 6,000 have been injured and at least 45 are still missing in the vicinity of their distribution points, according to data from the Gazatí government. These centers, implanted by Israel to replace the UN in the food supply, have nearby military presence – sometimes less than two kilometers – and American private security hired by the Foundation itself. The idea, according to the Israeli government, is to prevent Hamas from diverting resources. Reality on the ground, however, is another.
The reporters who have witnessed the scene on the ground, including y they describe a chaotic and lethal panorama: push, stamped, shots, pepper gas and panic scenes. On more than one occasion, Israeli soldiers have directly shot civilians who were approaching outside the established routes. The army himself has acknowledged having used real fire, claiming that the agglomerations were “an immediate threat” for their troops. “If someone deviates from the route and does not stop, it is considered a threat. He shoots,” confessed an Israeli reservist interviewed by WSJ.
A failed operation
The convoy with humanitarian aid reaches Beit Lahia.
The GHF operates in four points distributed over southern Gaza, with irregular distribution and limited capacity. The agglomerations are inevitable and the forces deployed in the environment lack humanitarian preparation. Neither the signs, nor the improvised fences, nor the orders for meghephony have prevented the delivery of food to end, too many times, in a butcher shop.
On the day of July 16, for example, 20 people died crushed in an avalanche when trying to access the Jan Yunis enclosure, city in the south of the strip located near the border with Egypt. The previous day, another group was a victim of the warning shots, according to the Israeli story, which caused new victims. United Nations estimates point to more than 700 dead since the new system came into operation.
From NGOs and humanitarian agencies, criticism is unanimous. The militarized model imposed by Israel “contradicts the principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence,” warned in a joint statement a fortnight of organizations. “You can’t feed a civilian population surrounded by tanks,” a high -head of the PMA summarized graphically.
Hunger, despair and paralysis
The food crisis already reaches unsustainable levels. According to the Gazati Ministry of Health, at least 86 people –76 of them, minors – have died from malnutrition since the Israeli offensive began more than a year and a half ago. The situation is especially dramatic in the north of the strip, where there is hardly any help. The cost of a kilo of flour exceeds $ 100, and many families survive with bread and water. The NGO World Central Kitchen, led by chef José Andrés, has had to paralyze its kitchens due to lack of supplies. “We have stayed again without food in Gaza. We need safe routes and the freedom to move to feed people,” denounced the Spanish chef in a message posted on social networks.
The UN convoyes continue to enter with dropper, and many do not even manage to reach warehouses. Insecurity, military controls and poor predictability have reduced distribution to symbolic levels. “What arrives is a drop in an ocean of necessity,” said Tom Fletcher, representative of the agency before the Security Council.
Israel states that it will expand the number of cast centers, but has not given dates or details. Meanwhile, the dead accumulate around flour trucks. The international community demands changes. Israel responds with fire.
