Gaza aid hits crisis point despite US demands on 'Israel': FT
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While the US issues warnings to "Israel" through the media, the occupation continues to delay and obstruct aid as famine spreads.
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A Palestinian girl lies weak and disoriented on a mattress in Gaza, drifting in and out of sleep from severe malnutrition and dehydration, her small ribcage visible beneath a loose red T-shirt. (@mhdksafa /X)
Aid to Gaza remains near record lows, despite the US asserting that it would not halt arms transfers to "Israel", citing “some progress” in facilitating humanitarian aid, The Financial Times reported on Sunday.
Washington had reportedly urged "Israel" to improve conditions for Palestinians in Gaza, but humanitarian groups report worsening conditions. Additionally, Israeli occupation forces have killed Palestinians who were facilitating aid convoys.
According to UN data, approximately 1,700 trucks entered Gaza by December 12, a modest increase from the previous month, which saw the lowest level of aid deliveries since the onset of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
No assurance of food: Gaza's struggle for survival amid genocide
Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer for UNRWA in Gaza, told FT, "It got to the point where we were lucky if we got half a truck in. People can’t have one day where they just know: my family will eat."
In central and southern Gaza, where most residents are being forcibly displaced, hunger has deepened. Bakeries have been overwhelmed by desperate crowds, and three people were suffocated in a food queue in central Gaza on November 29. Flour shortages are severe, with a sack costing $162, according to a joint report by several aid organizations published on December 13.
Displaced girls scream and cry to receive their share from the charity kitchen. The scene is no longer just tragic, absurd, or painful it is beyond description, expression, or even endurance. Famine is devastating the children of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/HdSiHMnc5V
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) December 13, 2024
On October 13, US officials warned "Israel" that it had 30 days to “surge all forms of humanitarian assistance” to Gaza and end the isolation of northern Gaza, threatening military aid if conditions did not improve. However, the US later decided not to withhold military assistance, citing “some progress” despite worsening conditions.
Israeli occupation forces have regularly delayed or denied humanitarian access, and between November 13 and December 10, all attempts by the UN to deliver aid to northern Gaza were either blocked or hindered.
'Israel' denies, delays, and allows looting of aid
While "Israel" has opened the Kissufim crossing to central Gaza, only 67 trucks have entered in the past month. Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for Oxfam, told FT, “It’s not enough for Israel to drop aid off at the border and open one gate. They need to open all land routes simultaneously and ensure protection for an unfettered aid response inside Gaza too.”
On December 1, UNRWA halted aid transfers from Karem Abu Salem, the primary entry point for aid to southern and central Gaza, citing security concerns. However, after US pressure, "Israel" reportedly allowed aid convoys to take an alternative route within Gaza.
For two days, these convoys were able to reach their destinations successfully, with local communities protecting the aid trucks. But on the third day, Israeli invading units opened fire on Palestinians who were guarding the trucks, massacring at least 20 people. Only one of the 70 trucks in the convoy reached its destination, while the rest were looted.
Khalidi from Oxfam described the dire situation, "Even our own staff are dependent on humanitarian aid... My brother-in-law tells the kids not to play or run so they don’t get dizzy because they’re only having one meal a day."
