Rabat – The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached an unprecedented low, with the United Nations reporting that over one million Palestinians did not receive food rations in August. The UN describes the situation as “beyond catastrophic,” highlighting a 35% drop in the number of people receiving daily cooked meals.
The International Court of Justice had previously mandated Israel to ensure food deliveries to Gaza, amid warnings of a looming famine.
Yet Israeli MP Avigdor Lieberman has called for a halt to all food shipments to Gaza, condemning such aid as “intolerable” while Hamas continues to hold Israeli captives. Lieberman also criticized the delivery of non-essential goods such as cigarettes.
The population of the war-torn enclave are struggling with lack of food, drinking water, and medical supplies in the wake of Israeli attacks. Adding to their dire situation are the continuous displacements and unsanitary conditions they are living in. This has led to the spread of several diseases, including polio, which has recently reappeared in Gaza.
In response, the World Health Organization, in coordination with local health workers, have launched a large-scale polio vaccination campaign. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that the campaign has so far reached over 355,000 children, with a goal of immunizing 640,000 children across the enclave.
But the vaccination effort has faced obstacles, with the Palestinian Health Ministry reporting that the Israeli forces have refused to coordinate the entry of medical teams into certain areas of southern Gaza.
Meanwhile, efforts to resolve to end the 11-months-old war through truce talks in Doha and Cairo have not succeeded. Mediators presented late last month a new “bridging proposal,” which the US said Israel has accepted.
However, Hamas has rejected the deal, citing concerns over the continued presence of Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Gaza. Hamas argues that this proposal deviates from an earlier one supported President Joe Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council.
