Israel To Ease Aid Blockade On Gaza
By Yadnom Awu/ Asaba
Under intense global pressure, Israel has resolved to allow what it terms ” basic amounts” of humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
However, the disclosure from the office of Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, did not say the plan did not indicate whether the Jewish state would merely ease the blockage or lift it entirely.
The United Nations( UN), its specialized agencies and sundry other famous and credible organizations across climes , tongues and creed, had strongly condemned Israel’s total humanitarian blockade of Gaza and its high stake military onslaught on the enclave as well as the Occupied West Bank.
The blockade, imposed almost three months ago, has been typified by the total prohibition of food , water, shelter , medical and other humanitarian items into Gaza.
Many interests, including medical doctors, rights activists, humanitarian groups and even the United Nations, UN, had said the blockage had caused severe food and health crisis, especially with the alleged intentional Israeli mangling of educational, recreational, medical, religious and cultural centers across Gaza.
The targeting of the centres has led to what humanitarian groups termed medical catastrophe, typified by surging infections and deaths, especially of vulnerable segments of the society, including women and children.
It was unclear, at press time, what terms, including the span of time, that Israel would impose on the inflow of aid into the strip.
Also unclear is the vital question of which group would be involved in the distribution, since Israel had distanced itself from UNRWA’, the specialized UN agency responsible for humanitarian activities in Palestine, which it accused of working hand in gloves with Hamas, the Islamist party it labels a terrorist group
In place of UNRWA’, Israel, in concert with its backbone, America, has floated the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to oversee the aid distributed.
But the UN and many groups have distanced themselves from the Foundation, the import of which they tagged the weaponisation of humanitarian aid.
