Israel cuts off aid to northern Gaza amid imminent famine, UNRWA chief says
Gaza City, Gaza - Israel is no longer allowing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees to send aid convoys into northern Gaza where civilians are on the verge of famine, according to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini.
"UNRWA, the main lifeline for Palestine refugees, is denied from providing lifesaving assistance to northern Gaza," Lazzarini wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.
"Despite the tragedy unfolding under our watch, the Israeli authorities informed the UN that they will no longer approve any UNRWA food convoys to the north," he continued.
"This is outrageous and makes it intentional to obstruct lifesaving assistance during a man-made famine."
More than five months into Israel's brutal war on Gaza, the humanitarian situation in the strip has reached catastrophic levels, according to aid organizations, with the northern area particularly affected.
Most people from northern Gaza have fled to other parts of the coastal area amid Israeli bombardment, but some 300,000 are believed to remain, with only little aid reaching them infrequently.
Israel has faced deafening accusations that it is deliberately hindering aid deliveries, using starvation as a weapon of war, and frequently targeting Palestinians who gather around the few food trucks that do make it through.
At the same time, Israel has claimed a significant number of UNRWA workers are members of Hamas, but more than two months after first launching the explosive allegations, it has not provided any substantial proof.
That hasn't stopped the US and other governments from essentially cutting off funding to the agency, even as they acknowledge no other organization can effectively administer aid amid an impending famine.
Cover photo: REUTERS