UNRWA chief condemns Israel over ‘collective punishment’ of entire Gaza population The commissioner general for the main UN agency in Palestine has told the UN Security Council Israel is carrying out “collective punishment” of the entire population of Gaza. In his address to the 15-member council on Monday, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said Israel forced the displacement of Palestinians from the north of Gaza to the south – where they are still not safe. Lazzarini warned that basic services are crumbling while medicine, food, water and fuel are running out in the besieged territory. “Most of the people of Gaza felt abandoned. This is dangerous – an entire population is being dehumanized,” he said. He added that nowhere is safe in Gaza from Israeli bombardment, not even the south where the regime has been pushing the people to go. The UN commissioner said not even churches, mosques, hospitals, and UNRWA facilities sheltering displaced people have been spared. More than 600,000 displaced Palestinians fled to the UNRWA schools across the enclave seeking safety and assistance amid the intensified Israeli onslaught against Gaza.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini is correct in a number of his points. The basic services food, water, medicine, etc. are crumbling in Gaza. Even WHO is warning of a pending humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Seeing that Hamas is launching rockets from or right next to churches, mosques, hospitals, and UNRWA facilities -- none of these are safe. The south of Gaza is far more safe for civilians than north Gaza where Hamas militants are actively attacking Israeli troops while hiding behind the civilian population. However the south in not completely safe either. It is important for more aid to get into Gaza to advert a humanitarian disaster. The world should make more of an effort to demand that Egypt & Israel allow more aid to cross the Rafah crossing. There should also be a point made that the best temporary & safest solution would be allowing Gaza refugees to cross into Egypt and for the world to provide them aid there. However Egypt would need guarantees that the world will provide the assistance, and Israel will need to guarantee that they refugees would be allowed back into Gaza after the war. I don't see either of these guarantees occurring.
Bolivia has cut off diplomatic ties with Israel because of the massacre, and Chile, Colombia have recalled their ambassadors.
According to a fresh Gaza health ministry update as republished in Al Jazeera: The number of people killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza has gone up to 8,796, including 3,648 children and 2,290 women. At least 22,219 people have been wounded. There are 2,030 reports of people missing including 1,020 children buried under the rubble. 130 paramedics and medical crew have been killed, 28 ambulances have been destroyed, and there have been more than 270 attacks on the healthcare system in Gaza. 16 hospitals out of 35 are out of operation, and 51 out of 72 primary healthcare clinics have shut down. In the occupied West Bank, 128 Palestinians have been killed and at least 1,980 have been wounded.
And? In other news, fat out of shape man starts brawl with world class MMA fighter and gets his ass kicked.