GENEVA: The UN on Tuesday accused Israel of trying to 鈥渨eaponize鈥� the flow of aid into Gaza, leaving the population desperate for food and water while delivering them 鈥渂ombs鈥� instead.
The United Nations鈥� humanitarian agency OCHA decried the worsening situation in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory after nearly nine weeks of a total Israeli blockade on Gaza.
鈥淭he bottom line is that there鈥檚 no aid to distribute anymore because the aid operation has been strangled... There鈥檚 no more to give,鈥� OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva.
In Gaza, 鈥渢here鈥檚 a desperate need for food getting in; they鈥檙e getting bombs,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hey need water; they鈥檙e getting bombs. They need health care; they鈥檙e getting bombs.鈥�
He voiced outrage at Israel鈥檚 recent verbal update to representatives of a grouping of around 15 UN agencies and 200 NGOs indicating plans to 鈥渟hut down the existing aid distribution system鈥� that the organizations run in Gaza.
鈥淭he Israelis have asked them to instead deliver supplies through Israeli hubs under conditions set by the Israeli military,鈥� Laerke said.
The UN had flatly rejected that proposal, he said, stressing that such a plan would 鈥渘ot live up to the core fundamental humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality and independent delivery of aid.鈥�
Aid, he insisted, must be given 鈥渂ased on needs and nothing else.鈥�
鈥淚t appears to be a deliberate attempt to weaponize the aid,鈥� he said, adding that the proposed system seemed 鈥渄esigned to further control and restrict supplies, which is the opposite of what is needed.鈥�
Instead, what was required to alleviate the suffering was for Israel to allow border crossings to reopen and for life-saving aid to go through, said Laerke.
鈥淲e have aid pre-positioned outside of Gaza, ready to go in,鈥� he added.
Colleagues on the ground were describing people 鈥渞ummaging through garbage trying to find something edible,鈥� he said, slamming the 鈥渉arsh, brutal, inhuman reality鈥� in the territory.
He said that despite the towering challenges in Gaza since the war erupted 18 months ago, the UN and its partners have largely managed to deliver aid, provide health care, and roll out vaccination campaigns.
鈥淭he great frustration of all this is that it is possible, and it can be done,鈥� he said.
Laerke鈥檚 comments came a day after Israel鈥檚 military said expanded operations in Gaza would include displacing 鈥渕ost鈥� of its residents, after the country鈥檚 security cabinet approved a plan that an Israeli official said would entail 鈥渢he conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories.鈥�
Nearly all of Gaza鈥檚 inhabitants have already been displaced, often multiple times, since the start of the war sparked by Hamas鈥檚 October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
鈥淔orced relocations of people: they鈥檙e not helpful, obviously,鈥� Laerke said.
鈥淵ou need to know where people are in order to be able to provide aid to them... it鈥檚 another blow.鈥�