Virtually no aid has reached besieged north Gaza in 40 days, UN says

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Palestinians are "facing diminishing conditions for survival" in parts of northern Gaza under siege by Israeli forces because virtually no aid has been delivered in 40 days, the UN has warned.

The UN said all its attempts to support the estimated 65,000 to 75,000 people in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and Jabalia this month had been denied or impeded, forcing bakeries and kitchens to shut down.
...
UN agencies had planned 31 missions to the besieged areas of North Gaza governorate between 1 and 18 November, according to the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Twenty-seven were rejected by Israeli authorities and the other four were severely impeded, meaning they were prevented from accomplishing all the work they set out to do.



Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3ypxd3p4eo

[Omnipresent]

1. Bibi wants money, but wants roadblocks to getting Palestinians aid.

Now is the time for all Americans to come together, to defund Israel.

[jimfields33]

2. I'd think Palestinian leadership should be questioned

on why they are not taking care of their populous.

[Omnipresent]

3. Can they hear the questions around the explosions and ambulance sirens?

[Beastly Boy]

24. Yes they can. Even from Turkey, or Qatar, or from wherever they are hiding.

Was there ever any doubt about it?

[Omnipresent]

55. What are you trying to say?

[Beastly Boy]

57. I am trying to answer your question.

Yes, the Hamas leaders can hear the questions around the explosions and ambulance sirens. Even from Qatar and Turkey, wherever they might find themselves at any particular time.

Explosions and ambulance sirens do not affect their hearing. If they don’t address the questions, it is not because their hearing is impeded. It is by choice.

Did this really require an explanation?

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. You can't send in aid from the West Bank without getting past the Israeli soldiers

The siege is by Israel.

[Beastly Boy]

27. The convoys are getting past Israeli soldiers allright! They are being left undelivered and looted

once they get past the Israeli soldiers.

[muriel_volestrangler]

31. Except that is not what news reports say. For instance, the one in the OP. (nt)

[Beastly Boy]

35. Don't believe your lyin eyes

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856057671864201378%7Ctwgr%5Ee91259328a04290c8df43812ab7b2381d772d812%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.democraticunderground.com%2F%3Fcom%3Dview_postforum%3D1002pid%3D19723300

COGAT is practically begging the humanitarian agencies to come and get it

[muriel_volestrangler]

37. The Kerem Shalom crossing is in southern Gaza

and the Israeli siege is around northern Gaza, as the OP says. Plus the distribution problems from the Israeli-controlled depots are due to the lawlessness in southern Gaza, caused by the Israeli attacks on Hamas or any order-enforcing replacements (and no attempt by the Israelis themselves), as #23 says.

[Beastly Boy]

42. "Order-enforcing replacements". What a pretty euphemism!

Looting humanitarian aid is a racket. It used to belong exclusively to Hamas, and now they have to compete with other “order replacers”. That’s the only thing that changed.

[muriel_volestrangler]

46. Not a euphemism. As Haaretz wrote,

"In several cases, they add, the last remnants of the local police forces tried to take action against the looters, but were attacked by Israeli troops, who view them as part of Hamas."
The point is that the IDF is not enforcing order; it is preventing others doing it.

[Beastly Boy]

49. What made them "local police", other than the guns?

It is not only the IDF that rightfully views them as enemy combatants, but the Geneva Conventions, on which the IDF view is based.

[muriel_volestrangler]

52. Bollocks.

The Geneva Conventions do not classify police in an occupied territory as "enemy combatants".

[Beastly Boy]

53. Who identified them as police, and on what grounds?

And what does “local police” mean anyway? What local authorities designated or employed them as police, and what identifying insignia were produced to IDF before they started shooting?

Absent the visible insignia, the Geneva Conventions do not classify armed men as police. The Geneva Conventions consider them enemy combatants.

[womanofthehills]

14. Where would they get supplies to take care of people?

It gets worse day by day. Millions living in tents - now getting colder - and raining- videos of soaked cold kids living in tents - many with missing arms & legs -- all their rugs and belongings soaked. No place to even sleep - sewage running down streets. Where is the compassion? Now over 100,000 injured mostly kids and mostly kids now with no arms or legs. Most kid amputees of anywhere in world. American Dr treating children said they are constantly amputating kids feet - many kids walking barefoot because they no longer have shoes - they cut their feet - no antibiotics so their feet get horribly infected - drs have nothing to treat with so they amputate kids feet. Thousands of images on X of little kids with no arms or legs. Little armless boys playing in surf on stump legs. Compassion people!

I just got a tooth pulled and I’m miserable - I can’t even imagine their pain. Toddlers getting their feet cut off with no sedation and often mother & fatherless. Compassion please and support Bernie in his fight for no more weapons.

[Beastly Boy]

29. On the Gaza side of the border. Tons of supplies are stuck in Gaza and remain undelivered

[muriel_volestrangler]

34. The warehouses under Israeli control?

See reply #23.

[womanofthehills]

9. Bernie is working on part of that -

Senator Peter Welch

My full remarks in support of @SenSanders' resolution to block the sale of certain offensive weapons to Israel.

Link to tweet

?s=46&t=YZgyyp4w_z7vW3neKxa6cQ

[AloeVera]

5. Hello Israel supporters, this is not OK!!

No matter how much you may love Israel, or be an Israel supporter, surely even you can see this is NOT OK!!??

It's a deliberate, systematic campaign of starvation - medieval in its cruelty.

And fwiw, strongly-worded letters mean nothing if the threats are not enforced and your own laws are ignored. There is a word for that. A few, actually.

[jimfields33]

7. I understand. But they've been saying that Gaza is in the

mist of a famine. But there are so much aid ready to be given out. I’d love to know whose responsibility it is to hand out the food.

[womanofthehills]

10. Trucks are often blocked at border

And truck drivers attacked. Videos online of truck drivers being beaten. A load of food and supplies was delivered to a school a few days ago and then all the aid destroyed by a drone.

[jimfields33]

11. Hamas is just terrible.

Wasting food by destroying it seems dumb.

[womanofthehills]

16. But you fail to mention Israel drones

Destroying food after delivery.

[jimfields33]

19. Israel is supplying the food. Would be weird for them to destroy it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Israel doesn't supply the food. The UN does. NGOs do. Israel then decides if they block it or not.

For almost a month, Israel has blocked attempts by aid organisations to deliver aid in areas of
northern Gaza, effectively severing the population from access to vital lifelines, including food,
medical supplies and all other humanitarian aid. Nearly all attempts by humanitarian
organisations to deliver food to people in the besieged areas of North Gaza governorate have
been blocked by the Israeli authorities. Tens of thousands are facing starvation as a result.
...
7 INGOs reported that their movement requests have been either denied by Israeli
authorities or cancelled due to unsafe operational areas, lack of fuel or unusable
infrastructure. Mercy Corps reports that the Israeli forces denied its movements
within the Israeli-designated ‘humanitarian zone’ in the southern areas of Gaza Strip
for a period of nine days (15-24 Oct). Multiple movements were denied by the Israeli
Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) in the so-called “humanitarian zone”,
meaning that humanitarian operations there could not proceed.

Most surveyed INGOs reported fuel shortages that are severely impacting operations.
This is increasing costs for services like water trucking, waste collection, and
cleaning, while reducing available resources for aid, and affecting hospitals abilities
to provide critical lifesaving services The vast majority of humanitarian organizations
operating in the Gaza Strip rely entirely on UNRWA for fuel. The lack of fuel affects
their ability to deliver aid and run water purification services. Lack of fuel also
hampers the ability to power offices, communication systems, forcing organizations
to rely on unreliable generators. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) had to
suspend water trucking for 10,000 displaced Palestinians in Gaza City in the period
23-25 October due to fuel shortages.
...
Displacement and movement restrictions have halted key activities for
many organizations, forcing some, like Mercy Corps, to switch to warehouse-based
distributions. In the wake of the early and mid-October displacement orders, Oxfam, Islamic
Relief, and ACF were forced to suspend water distribution, sanitation, and health services,
limiting their ability to assist vulnerable populations. DCA/NCA reported that the heightened
security risks and movement restrictions following these orders significantly hindered their
ability to reach target communities and carry out planned activities in the area.

https://www.care-international.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/Gaza%20Humanitarian%20Access%20Snapshot%20%237.pdf

[AloeVera]

23. It is not Hamas, it is criminal gangs looting right under the IDF's noses.

The Israeli Army Is Allowing Gangs in Gaza to Loot Aid Trucks and Extort Protection Fees From Driver

The Israel Defense Forces is allowing armed Palestinians to loot aid convoys entering Gaza and to extort protection money from them, say sources in international aid organizations working in the enclave.
The sources told Haaretz that the armed men who belong to two clans from the Rafah district have blocked a large portion of the aid shipments entering Gaza through Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing. The looting is systematic, they said, yet the IDF has turned a blind eye. And since some of the aid groups refuse to pay protection money, the aid often ends up sitting in warehouses that are under Israeli army control.

The aid transported by these convoys contains the vast majority of the food and equipment Gazans desperately need, since commercial imports have stopped almost completely.
The sources say the looting of the convoys reflects the complete anarchy that prevails in Gaza due to the lack of any functioning civilian government. In several cases, they add, the last remnants of the local police forces tried to take action against the looters, but were attacked by Israeli troops, who view them as part of Hamas.
The aid groups say there is no solution that would enable aid to reach the residents without some police force, whether Palestinian or international, being stationed in Gaza. But both the Israeli government and the IDF object to this. The Israeli government wants the army to take responsibility for aid distribution, but the defense establishment opposes this idea as well.

Snip

https://archive.is/t28IY

Any more "questions"?

[Beastly Boy]

39. Yes, more questions. Imagine IDF interfering with the looting in any way.

Next day’s headlines: “An emergency session of UNGA passes a resolution condemning Israel for denyingGazan civilians access to international humanitarian aid”.

It happened before. More than once.

[AloeVera]

40. So they shoot at Palestinian policemen trying to prevent the looting instead? N/T.

[Beastly Boy]

45. Yes. Yes they do. Look up the rules governing enemy combatants in the Geneva Conventions.

Speaking of which, what was the identifying insignia on the armed man in question? Other than a weapon in his hands, that is. What made him a policeman rather than a terrorist who intends to appropriate the loot for Hamas?

[AloeVera]

48. I don't think the 2 sides went to the aid trucks hand-in-hand.

Generally a crime preceedes police intervention. So...you see where I'm going.

I didn't think policemen were "enemy combatants". But again, neither are civil servants, doctors and journalists, but that hasn't stopped Israel from targeting them as such.

[Beastly Boy]

50. Regardless of what you think,

Armed militants are considered enemy combatants unless otherwise identified and authorized to carry arms.

Likewise, civil servants who don’t stick to their civil service and are caught in any activity whatsoever that is harmful to an occupying power lose their protective status. Also in the Geneva Conventions, regardless of what you think

[moniss]

13. You can have all the trucks in the world but if they deny the request for the access it does no good.

The rejections overall for the last month doubled according to one NGO being interviewed on NPR last week.

[womanofthehills]

15. Now drones are destroying the aid

Evil - a few days ago, food delivered to school - then all food bombed by a drone - taking out lots of children besides the food.

[AloeVera]

18. Pure sadistic barbarism.

How can human beings bear this? Not just the victims, God help them, but people watching, either helpless and in despair or shrugging it off and making excuses - victim-blaming even. Do they not see this is planned, deliberate, willful? Going on for over a year, now in hyper-drive.

17 children admitted to hospital in a few short days suffering from malnutrition. How many don't even make it to the ruins of hospitals, where there is little help anyway. An elderly man dying from dehydration for God's sake! Hospitals destroyed, no or little medical aid allowed in.

Pure sadistic barbarism. And it's just allowed to go on because people STILL make excuses and don't speak UP!

[Avalon Sparks]

25. It's a land grab by genocide

And it’s the most barbaric, disgusting, horrifying thing I’ve ever seen happen in my life.

[AloeVera]

30. Thank you, kindred spirit.

It's the best, most hard-hitting way I've seen it put in 13 months of screaming into the void.

[Avalon Sparks]

59. We truly are

Have agreed with all of your posts. Hugs!

[Beastly Boy]

33. Whose drones? Where? Link please!

Too much to ask before outrage ensues?

[AloeVera]

21. No, I don't think you understand.

If you did, or wanted to, you wouldn't be asking that question.

In war, the facilitation of aid is the responsibility of the occupying power. International law. It starts with allowing in the aid necessary, then followed by providing SAFE humanitarian corridors - complete with military guards if necessary- to get the aid to distribution centres and then to the people. It means full cooperation with aid agencies.

Instead, Israel is barring 90% of aid-delivery , bombing distribution centres and the roads leading to them, bombing bakeries, has banned UNRWA, the most critical aid agency, refusing to provide IDF-supported security for the trucks, instead allowing criminals to loot them, attacking policemen trying to stop the criminals, and on and on.

The goal here is not just the suffering, but the "cleansing" of north Gaza of Palestinians so that it can be settled with Israeli settlers and annexed (stolen). It's a choice between LEAVE or STARVE.

If you do not see this is all deliberate, systematic, not to mention just plain evil, you don't understand at all.

[Beastly Boy]

58. The same people who say it is pure evil for Israel to not take charge of aid deliveries in Gaza, also say

It is pure evil for Israel to take charge of food deliveries in Gaza.

They say that Israel taking control of food deliveries is tantamount to taking control of Gaza, and that’s pure evil. Genocide, ethnic cleansing, land grab, etc.

They also say that Israel not taking control of aid deliveries in Gaza is tantamount to driving Gazans out of their land by starving them, and that’s pure evil. Genocide, ethnic cleansing, land grab, etc.

The prevalence of one narrative over the other depends entirely on the time of day and where the wind blows, and at times they manage to harmoniously coexist with one another.

Go figure.

[Beastly Boy]

32. Hello Israel detractor, tons of supplies are siring on the Gazan side of the border

Waiting to be picked up, some for over a month.

But Israel!

[Mosby]

6. The BBC really left a lot out in this article

They don't seem very credible at this point.

In case you haven't heard, armed gunmen (Hamas?) have been attacking aid convoys and stealing everything.

Link to tweet

[jimfields33]

8. Horrible. They were voted in to take care of their population

This is tragic. I knew tons of food was given to Gaza. The leadership needs to give it to its population and not take it for themselves.

[womanofthehills]

17. Wow! And you read this where?

Check the videos of starving kids holding out pots crying of hunger. Videos show the truth.

[jimfields33]

20. Still doesn't excuse the Palestinian government from negligence.

[AloeVera]

38. It's criminal gangs allowed to loot by the IDF.

As I said in post #23, with link.

It's the Palestinian policemen who are trying to fight off the criminals and save the aid trucks. In thanks, these policemen are shot at by the IDF while turning a blind eye to the criminals.

Starvation, lawlessness, fear and chaos is the goal. The sooner to "cleanse" north Gaza. It's horrific and shameful.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. That was in central and southern Gaza, not northern, so it's not the story the BBC was reporting

but if you want to discuss it - the UNWRA tweet:

"A joint 109-truck @UN convoy carrying food supplies to people in #Gaza was violently looted on 16 November. The vast majority of the trucks, 97 in total, were lost and drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid.

Due to critical shortages of flour, all eight UN-supported bakeries in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis have been operating at diminished capacity for weeks. Many have been forced to shut down entirely.

Without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over 2 million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive.

The Israeli authorities continue to disregard their legal obligations under international law to ensure the population's basic needs are met and to facilitate the safe delivery of aid. Such responsibilities continue when trucks enter the #GazaStrip, until people are reached with essential assistance."

The incident “highlights the severity of access challenges of bringing aid into southern and central Gaza”, she told Reuters.
...
The IDCA, one of a number of informal groups that have sprung up to represent the interests of Gaza’s 1.8 million displaced people, said Israeli authorities had been repeatedly warned that armed gangs were operating along roads leading into Gaza from specific entry points.

“A better route for aid was repeatedly proposed, but [the Israelis] have refused all these requests,” the spokesperson said.

UN officials said the convoy had been instructed by Israel to depart at short notice through an unfamiliar route from the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/18/armed-looters-hijack-almost-100-trucks-carrying-aid-supplies-into-gaza

[C0RI0LANUS]

26. Holocaust Survivor: "Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza. We've got to fight back."

Holocaust Survivor Mr. Rene Lichtman: “Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza. We’ve got to fight back.” An expert who survived the Nazi genocide might know something about this issue. (Credit: World Socialist Website)


US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), an Ashkenazi Jew who lost relatives in the Holocaust, issued this statement on 18 Nov 2024:

"Continuing to provide Israel with the offensive weapons it uses on civilians is morally wrong."



Palestinian children line up for food in Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip, on 17 Oct 2024. The UN warns of an imminent famine in Gaza this winter. When civilians die of starvation, disease, untreated wounds, or exposure to extreme cold, this is called “NHI" or "No Humans Involved." This is why medical personnel and facilities are targeted. (Photo: Abdel Kareem Hana / AP)



(Photo: Washington Post. Snopes.com verified this is a genuine, un-doctored image.)

Sources:

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/01/24/fwpx-j24.html

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/op-eds/bernie-sanders-no-more-arms-sales-to-netanyahu/

https://www.snopes.com/

[JohnSJ]

36. Sanders is a non practicing Jew who doesn't represent Jews.

[JohnSJ]

28. When the sociopath takes over I wonder what will happen?

Brilliant move by hamas on October 7th, and we will see how brilliant those abandon Harris supporters, and uncommitted voter refusal to vote for Harris works out.

Hamas contributed to the sociopath’s victory, and so did the uncommitted voters.

This could have all been avoided if hamas didn’t execute October 7.

Those professors and protesters cheering what Hamas did on October 7 on the days following, their actions, are not the wisest people, and their actions contributed in giving false hope to Hamas to continue the assault.

[AloeVera]

41. After 13 months you're still wondering what happens when a sociopath is given free rein??

N/T

[JohnSJ]

43. If hamas didn't provide the catalyst of October 7, this would NOT have happened. In addition, the actions of hamas

contributed to the sociopath reoccupying the WH.

after 13 months? Yeah, they wouldn't release the hostages nor would they cease hostilities.
Hamas has all but insured that netanyahu will not be leaving anytime soon either.

This isn't the first time that the Palestinian leadership's actions have wrought disaster on the Palestinians.

People can rightfully be upset about the situation, but unless something unforeseen happens, I suspect our election has just sealed the fate of the Palestinians. Just the fact that huckabee has been appointed the ambassador to Israel should tell you what our sociopath intends for the Palestinians.

[AloeVera]

44. Nice try. N/T

[JohnSJ]

47. Nice try about what? Hamas has all but insured that netanyahu will not be leaving anytime soon.

This isn't the first time that the Palestinian leaderhip;s actions have wrought disaster on the Palestinians.

People can rightfully be upset about the situation, but unless something unforeseen happens, I suspect our election has just sealed the fate of the Palestinians. Just the fact that huckabee has been appointed the ambassador to Israel should tell you what our sociopath intends for the Palestinians.

When one of the protesters shortly after October 7 yelled to the press, "enjoy trump". We'll see how that works out for him, the Palestinians, and us.

I don't think it will be a very pretty picture.

[C0RI0LANUS]

51. US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) represents human beings and ran for President of the United States.

Q: Who is Holocaust survivor Mr. Rene Lichtman representing? Who are the below NYC Jews representing?

A: Human beings.

Nobody has to be religious in any faith or practice Judaism to be compassionate.

[Beastly Boy]

56. Very interesting. Bernie represents human beings.

How many human beings? Most human beings? Some human beings? What is so special about human beings represented by Bernie?

Seems like you are leaving a shit-ton of compassionate human beings out of your narrative. And most of them have opinions that likely do not agree with Bernie’s or Renee Lichtman’s

[C0RI0LANUS]

54. Man's inhumanity to man in full display. I've been to Israel seven times and I'm never going back.

According to Amnesty International, before Oct 2023 the IDF held approximately 2,000 Palestinians in indefinite security detention without trial or hearing like the man below. See full report linked at bottom.


IDF soldiers abusing unarmed and bare-footed Palestinian man in Hebron, the West Bank, who allegedly resisted arrest. Look at the joyful expressions on the faces of the soldiers. Is the man crying out "I can't breathe?" The IDF said this case was "under investigation." (Photo: 22 Sep 2016, Reuters)

With no hope or chance of seeing the release of the 2,000 detainees like the Palestinian pictured above, armed groups conducted their brazen surprise attack on 7 Oct 2023 to seize captives for a prisoner swap. The assault killed 1,200 Israeli citizens and resulted in 250 hostages taken (including several AMCITS). A US 9/11 Commission-style report would gravely damage Likud Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Upon advice of D/Mossad, the Likud Cabinet conducted one such trade in Nov 2023, releasing several innocent Israelis and Palestinians. See CNN report below.

Afterwards, the rightwing Likud cabinet stopped negotiating and "rolled out Nakba 2023" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The exact quote by Likud Minister Avi Dichter is linked below. According to Wikipedia, the Likud reprisal ratio against Palestinians in Gaza for the 7 Oct 2023 attack is almost 40:1.



Likud Security Cabinet member Avi Dichter at the Knesset general assembly in May 2024. He publicly called for Nakba 2023, destroying any chance of a two-state solution. (Photo: Noam Moskowitz / Knesset spokesperson)



See all sources below.

Sources:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/11/israel-opt-horrifying-cases-of-torture-and-degrading-treatment-of-palestinian-detainees-amid-spike-in-arbitrary-arrests/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/22/world/what-do-we-know-about-the-israel-hamas-hostage-deal/index.html

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-11-12/ty-article/israeli-security-cabinet-member-calls-north-gaza-evacuation-nakba-2023/0000018b-c2be-dea2-a9bf-d2be7b670000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Israel%E2%80%93Hamas_war