Gaza Declared ‘Famine-Stricken’ As Israeli Assault Wreak Havoc
In a desperate plea for international intervention, a coalition of Palestinian non-governmental organizations and professional unions have officially declared the Gaza Strip a “famine-stricken” zone, urging the global community to recognize the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding on the ground.
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has issued an urgent call for an immediate ceasefire, warning that its ability to provide aid to the “starving and desperate” people of Gaza is rapidly deteriorating.
People displaced in Rafah and across Gaza are beyond exhausted. And our ability to help them is deteriorating with every passing hour, every passing day, the WFP said in a statement, adding: “Rafah is burning.”
As the humanitarian crisis worsens, more than 30 countries have called for greater scrutiny of Israel’s role in the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, further exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinian population.
Just this week, Israeli forces shelled a tent camp in a designated “safe zone” west of the city of Rafah, killing 25 people, mostly women and children, in the latest mass killing of Palestinian civilians.
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The United Nations Security Council has convened an emergency meeting to address Israel’s ground invasion of Rafah, as several European countries, including Spain, Ireland, and Norway, have formally recognized the state of Palestine in recent days.
However, the scale of the humanitarian crisis continues to outpace the international community’s response. The UN reports receiving only about 170 trucks of aid over the past three weeks – a mere “drop in the ocean” compared to the 500 trucks needed daily to address the dire needs of Gaza’s population.
Read more: Israeli Forces Push Into Jabalia, Rafah Cities (Map)
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, announced that aid to Gaza has dropped 67 percent since May 7, when Israel’s Rafah attack kicked off.
Israel’s incursion, launched in early May, has forced over one million people to flee Rafah, many of whom had already been displaced multiple times by previous Israeli offensives in Gaza. The violence has taken a staggering toll, with at least 36,171 Palestinians killed and 81,420 wounded since October 7.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has claimed “operational control” of the Philadelphi Corridor, the area separating Gaza from Egypt, sparking outrage from Egyptian officials who say Israel is violating the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries.
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