AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The European Union’s foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell has once again condemned Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war against the besieged Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.
“Humanitarian aid is not reaching Gaza, and the United Nations is unable to provide support,” Borrell told reporters on Tuesday.
He said that in northern Gaza alone, there are 250,000 people suffering.
“Why don't we go to the Security Council to raise the issue of humanitarian aid to Gaza?” Borrell asked.
For over 50 days, an estimated 130,000 children under the age of 10 have been trapped in areas of northern Gaza, almost entirely cut off from assistance, food and medical supplies, according to Save the Children.
The major humanitarian group said Monday that life-sustaining aid has largely failed to reach any of the people besieged by Israeli forces in northern Gaza since early October.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) also warned Monday that the onset of winter is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“Displaced families are enduring tragic circumstances due to severe weather and an acute shortage of humanitarian aid,” said UNRWA media officer Inas Hamdan.
“We are talking about a catastrophic humanitarian situation with critical shortages of essential winter supplies.”
Basic items such as flour and food supplies are nearly depleted, according to Hamdan.
A recent report by a UN Special Committee investigating Israeli practices in Gaza has found that the regime’s military actions bear the characteristics of genocide.
The committee accused Israel of deliberately creating conditions that threaten the lives of Palestinians, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
"Since the beginning of the war, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that strip Palestinians of the very necessities required to sustain life – food, water, and fuel," the committee said early this month.
It also noted that Israel has systematically interfered with humanitarian aid, using vital supplies for political and military purposes.
The report warned the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and food systems, has led to a humanitarian crisis.
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