France treads wary path, demands 'Israel' to facilitate aid into Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Apr 2024 22:23

The French Foreign Ministry urges "Tel Aviv" to guarantee the safety of civilian and humanitarian workers.

Palestinian child packing his family’s belongings in a truck as they were forcibly displaced from Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on April 18, 2024, amid the ongoing Israeli genocide. (AFP)

As the United Nations cautions of a looming famine in Gaza, France urged "Israel", on Thursday, to comply with international humanitarian law and facilitate the delivery of aid.

This comes as the Israeli occupation faces growing pressure from the international community, including its closest allies, concerning the limited amount of humanitarian assistance reaching the Gaza Strip.

“France, like the International Court of Justice, calls on Israel to lift all obstacles and to allow the safe and unhindered distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip,” said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

The Ministry also called on "Israel" to guarantee the safety of civilian populations and humanitarian workers.

“Hindering rescue delivery under the provisions of the Geneva Conventions can represent a crime that falls within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court,” he added.

In a related development, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel emphasized that "Israel" must intensify efforts to facilitate the entry of more aid into the region and collaborate with aid agencies to ensure deconfliction, as the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza persist.

'Israel' denied 41% UN aid missions to Gaza between April 6-12: OCHA

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) posted on X on April 14 that 41% of UN-coordinated aid missions to northern Gaza between 6 and 12 April were "impeded or denied access" by "Israel".

The UN office further urged the Israeli occupation to "facilitate humanitarian support" by highlighting that its obligation ends when aid reaches Palestinians.

In an update on Khan Younis, OCHA, referenced a UN inter-agency assessment mission to the area on April 10 after the withdrawal of IOF, which highlighted the devasting destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, medical centers, and roads among other civilian infrastructure in the area.

At the time, OCHA said that the UN team made up of representatives of OCHA, UNRWA, WHO, WFP, UNMAS, and UNFPA, also reported that Palestinians who went back to the area alongside those who never left are grappling with dire shortages of food, water, and other critical supplies, as well as collapsed services.

OCHA also referenced a report by the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, Jamie McGoldrick, during a visit on April 9 to UNRWA school sheltering tens of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis which said that thousands of internally displaced Palestinians are among those at risk as they are in dire need of humanitarian support services, including health, water and sanitation, food, and specialized support for women and disabled people.