Dire Agency –
“The humanitarian situation in Jenin is extremely serious, the impact of the Israeli army’s military operation on civilians was devastating: 800 buildings were damaged, 300 were completely destroyed, along with 6 kilometers of roads. For the fourth consecutive day there is still a lack of water and electricity, we are extremely concerned about the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the population, in a particularly overcrowded urban area”. Faisal Mahboob is the head of the Palestinian delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Dire reports what the city and the refugee camp look like after the withdrawal of Israeli troops, at the end of a 48-hour military operation.
The manager reports that during those days “4,000 requests for help were received at the Palestinian Red Crescent operations centre. We have mobilized 10 ambulances but the soldiers – Mahboob denounces – have imposed restrictions on our freedom of movement, we have several videos that show it. Just think that three women we were transporting to the hospital had to give birth in the ambulance. I’m still in shock.” Did the military, we ask, know what the situation was on board? “We have always informed them,” Mahboob replies.
Now the damage count continues, in coordination with the other NGOs and UN agencies present in Jenin, while those who can try to go home, but “many find the buildings unusable, while it will take days to get the network system back up and running electricity and water, which are underground. Those who can stay at the home of relatives or friends”.
The Ifrc together with the Palestinian Red Crescent, as the head of delegation assures, “is doing its utmost to assist people, especially the elderly, pregnant women, the sick and children. The problem is that it was not an escalation but an operation part of Israel’s policy against the occupied territories. It’s just a matter of understanding who will be the next target, in the West Bank or in Gaza”, observes the director.
In 2023, Mahboob continues, “all indicators have worsened: the toll of Palestinians killed, those evicted or whose homes have been demolished, or new Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have already exceeded the 2022 total, and we are only early July.”
In over 70 years of activity, the manager continues, “we have understood that the secret is to be present in every city or area at risk, so as to be able to intervene immediately. First aid supplies? We continuously replenish the warehouses to never be found unprepared. War never ends.”
The IFRC exponent concludes with an appeal “to all warring parties to respect humanitarian law, ensuring full access to humanitarian workers. We also call on the Israeli authorities and the international community to work towards a lasting diplomatic solution. We do our part to help people, it is up to them to bring peace”.