A new report based on research from three countries shows that Israel is blocking aid operations to Gaza “consistently and without basis,” creating “famine-like conditions.”
Israel has created “famine-like conditions” in the Gaza Strip “while obstructing and undermining the humanitarian response,” according to a new report from the International Refugee Humanitarian Group.
Research conducted by the group in Egypt, Jordan and Israel revealed that Tel Aviv “consistently and baselessly obstructed aid operations inside Gaza, prevented legitimate relief operations and resisted implementing measures that would meaningfully enhance the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
The report was based on interviews with dozens of government officials, humanitarian workers and NGO staff involved in relief efforts on the ground from the three countries.
“Our research shows that conditions inside Gaza are appalling,” the report released on Thursday said.
“After five months of war, Palestinians are struggling to find enough food, water, shelter and basic medicine. Famine-level hunger is already widespread and getting worse.
Failure to comply with the ruling of the International Court of Justice
Refugees International also said Israel was “clearly failing to comply” with legally binding interim measures ordered by the International Court of Justice on January 26 to facilitate the flow of aid and alleviate humanitarian suffering in Gaza.
In its defense before the International Court of Justice, Israel said that it worked effectively to remove bottlenecks and improve the entry and distribution of aid in Gaza.
The report revealed that Israeli authorities “erected unnecessary obstacles, complex logistical processes, and an unpredictable inspection system, making the inspection system extremely burdensome with layers of bureaucracy, inspection, and limited working hours.”
While Israel claimed to have expanded its capacity to deliver aid to Gaza, the average number of trucks delivered in February actually decreased by 50 percent compared to the previous month, according to UN data cited in the report.
Vital crossings such as the northern Erez and Al-Mantar crossings – known to Israelis as Karni – remain closed, hindering access to northern Gaza.
The report said that Israel failed to adhere to the terms of the National Security Memorandum (NSM-20) issued by the administration of US President Joe Biden in February, which requires countries receiving US security assistance to effectively facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Logistical issues
Refugees International has found that logistical problems within Egypt and Jordan are limiting the distribution of life-saving aid to people in Gaza.
The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, intended primarily for commercial deliveries, lacks the capacity to handle the large amount of aid the Strip needs. Egyptian authorities also sought to deter any large-scale humanitarian response in North Sinai, which is a military zone.
The report concluded that Egypt responded to Israeli pressure to open its borders to Palestinian refugees by intensifying oversight and regulating access to the border area for relief agencies, as well as monitoring the entry and exit of individuals to and from Gaza.
Charities providing aid to Gaza from the Jordanian capital, Amman, told Refugees International that Israeli officials have created “difficult obstacles” that did not exist before, and have not yet provided clear standard operating procedures to Jordanian authorities.
New barriers, such as new inspection requirements, are also hampering aid at the Allenby Bridge crossing into Israel and the Kerem Shalom border crossing (Kerem Shalom).
Calls for a ceasefire
The report called on the warring parties in Gaza to “immediately agree on a mutual ceasefire and release all hostages” as well as “to abide by international humanitarian law and to refrain from any action that threatens the rights, safety and dignity of Palestinians and foreigners.” Israeli civilians.”
The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent weeks trying to broker a deal under which Hamas would release Israeli prisoners in exchange for a six-week ceasefire, the release of some Palestinian prisoners and more aid to Gaza.
But three days of negotiations with Hamas this week over a ceasefire in Gaza failed to produce a breakthrough, less than a week before the start of the holy month of Ramadan – the unofficial deadline for reaching an agreement.
The International Refugee Organization also called for an end to attacks on civilians and infrastructure and to allow the United Nations and relief agencies to reach populations in need.
Among other recommendations, it said Israel should refrain from “launching a military attack in Rafah and other actions that could lead to further displacement of Palestinians or exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.”
The Israeli army is preparing for a long-threatened ground invasion in the border city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where more than half of the Strip's 2.3 million residents have been forcibly displaced.
At least 30,800 Palestinians have been killed and 72,198 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October. The death toll in Israel as a result of Hamas attacks on October 7 is 1,139.
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