Gaza has become worse than hell on earth, the president of the Red Cross has warned as aid distribution centres in the enclave were closed for a day.
The controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced late on Tuesday night it was temporarily shutting down operations in the strip after dozens of Palestinians were killed attempting to access its distribution centres.
It said it had asked the Israeli military to “guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks” near military perimeters, as well as develop clearer guidance for civilians and enhance training to support civilian safety. It added that their “top priority remains ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians receiving aid”.
Mirjana Spoljarić, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told the BBC on Wednesday that the enclave had become “worse than hell on earth” and that states are not doing enough to end the war, end the suffering of Palestinians and secure the release of Israeli hostages.
The ICRC said that at least 27 people were killed and dozens injured attempting to access one of the sites on Tuesday. The Israeli military said it opened fire on a group of people it viewed as a threat near one of the centres, though the GHF claimed the incident happened “well beyond” its distribution point.
At least 58 Palestinians have reportedly been killed near the four GHF centres, which were opened last month. Three of the distribution centres are located in the south of Gaza, near Rafah, and one is situated in the centre of the enclave, near the Netzarim corridor.
Palestinians collecting food GHF boxes have described scenes of pandemonium, with no one overseeing the handover of supplies or checking IDs, as crowds jostle for aid.
Aid workers, meanwhile, have suggested the pause in the provision of humanitarian aid is further reason to cancel the GHF initiative, which they say is a dangerous weaponisation of food given its backing by the Israeli government, who oversee the distributions.
“This pause to what has expectedly been a chaotic start must now be followed by a commitment to allow real aid workers to do the real job of providing aid,” Ahmed Bayram, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, an aid organisation operating in the enclave, told The Independent.
“That task of saving lives and fending off starvation must have never been outsourced to a private security firm. Israel has been an occupier, it now cannot be the feeder.
“Diplomacy has to do everything it can to pressure Israel to open the gates and let aid gush in. Enough experimenting while children are reduced to skin and bones.”
James Elder, a Unicef spokesperson in Gaza, told the BBCthis morning that Palestinians had been walking up to 20km (12 miles) to access the four distribution points. He added that the lack of larger United Nations organisations providing aid meant that 500-600 boxes of aid were being delivered instead of 500 to 600 trucks.
