Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini warned that the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip has become a ‘death trap’ in light of the ongoing Israeli bombardment.In a statement issued Monday, Lazzarini called on Israel to lift the blockade and allow aid to enter and be distributed safely and without hindrance under UN supervision to avert famine.Lazzarini pointed out that dozens of starving civilians had recently been killed and injured by Israeli forces, according to reports from international paramedics on the ground.He strongly criticized the Israeli plan for distributing aid, which set a delivery point in the far south of Rafah, forcing thousands of hungry and needy civilians to walk dozens of kilometers to an area almost destroyed by intense Israeli bombardment. He considered this ‘humiliating system’ to not alleviate the suffering, but rather to deepen it.For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stressed that Israel's military-style distribution plan is in no way capable of meeting the massive needs in Gaza.The office previously considered the Gaza Strip to be ‘the hungriest place on earth,’ noting that Israel prevented all but a small amount of aid from entering the Strip.Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have launched an aggression on the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of 54,418 Palestinians, the majority of whom were children and women, and the injury of 124,190 others. This is a preliminary toll, with a number of victims still buried under the rubble and on the streets, unable to be reached by ambulances and rescue teams amid an unprecedented catastrophe.
