Desperate Palestinians in Northern Gaza Struggle to Survive Amidst Ongoing Conflict
RAFAH, Gaza Strip – Outrage is growing as the desperate living conditions of hundreds of thousands in northern Gaza worsen after five months of fighting between Israel and Hamas. The European Union’s diplomatic service reports that many Palestinians killed or injured while attempting to obtain bags of flour from an aid convoy were hit by Israeli army fire. As a result, the EU is urging an international investigation and placing responsibility for the crisis on the restrictions imposed by the Israeli army and obstructions by violent extremists to the supply of humanitarian aid.
The conflict, which began after an attack by Hamas into southern Israel, resulted in widespread destruction in densely populated northern Gaza. Israel had urged Palestinians to move south, but it is believed that as many as 300,000 people remained. As a result, acute malnutrition and wasting in children under the age of 2 have reached catastrophic levels, with one in six children in the north affected. The World Food Program warns that a famine in northern Gaza is imminent if conditions do not change.
Desperation and Limited Aid Deliveries
The desperation and resulting breakdown of civil order have made the delivery of aid a risky and complicated process. Residents in northern Gaza have turned to searching piles of rubble and garbage for anything to feed their children. Some mix animal and bird food with grain to bake bread. The World Food Program has had to suspend aid deliveries to the north, as people overwhelmed trucks and grabbed whatever they could. The violent chaos further complicates the safe distribution of aid.
A Growing Death Toll and Coastline Gunfire
The ongoing conflict has resulted in a Palestinian death toll that has recently climbed to 30,320, with around two-thirds of the victims being women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. In southern Gaza, airstrike tents outside the Emirati hospital tragically caused the deaths of eleven people and injured around 50 others.
The situation has forced people to take drastic measures. Some have gone to the coast to fish, but the attempt to find food for their children has resulted in the deaths of three individuals and the injury of two others due to gunfire from Israeli ships.
A Call for Assistance and Potential Avenues for Aid
The urgent need for food and humanitarian aid in Gaza, especially in the north, has garnered attention from international parties. US President Joe Biden has discussed the possibility of using a marine corridor to get aid shipments into Gaza, although US assistance is exploring other options as well. The US military has recently conducted airdrops coordinated with Jordan’s military and aided in the south of Gaza.
The European Union has stressed the importance of additional ground crossings and the removal of obstacles to the rare ones that remain open. The EU, along with other humanitarian groups, suggests that airdrops should remain the solution of last resort due to their minimal impact and risks to civilians.
Hope Amidst Ceasefire Negotiations
As international mediators hope for a possible ceasefire, negotiations in Cairo are set to resume on Sunday. The mediators aim to reach an agreement on a six-week pause in fighting and the exchange of some Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel ahead of the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The situation in Gaza remains dire, and aid workers hope that a ceasefire will lead to improved living conditions and increased support for those in need.
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