Key points
- UN chief condemns killing of Palestinians at aid centre in Gaza
- Demands that those responsible be held accountable
- It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food: UN secretary general
ISLAMABAD: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned the killing of more 30 Palestinians who were seeking food at a controversial, US-backed aid-distribution centre in Gaza, according to Arab News.
The UN chief called for an “immediate and independent investigation” into the incident and demanded that those responsible “be held accountable.”
At least 31 Palestinians were killed and 176 injured in the attack by Israeli forces near the aid site in the city of Rafah in the south of the territory, Arab News reported.
“I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday,” Guterres said.
Risking lives for food
“It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food. I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.”
The aid centre close to the scene of the attack is managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American organisation with which the Israeli government is working to implement a new aid-distribution system in Gaza that circumvents the traditional UN-led approach.
It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food. I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.” – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
The UN has chosen not to work with the organisation, citing concerns about its impartiality. Some humanitarian groups have said the aid initiative seems to have been tailored to align with Israeli military interests, Arab News reported.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday the international organisation and its humanitarian partners continue to urgently call for the full lifting of all restrictions on the delivery of aid and essential supplies, to ensure the basic needs of civilians in Gaza are met at a time when dire conditions persist in the territory.
Water shortages
He said that civilians there face repeated water shortages as the main pipeline in Deir Al-Balah, which previously delivered at least 12,000 cubic meters of water a day, remains out of service. Despite several attempts, humanitarian workers have been denied permission to carry out coordinated repair missions, Dujarric said. Five planned operations to distribute potable water to camps for displaced persons in Jabaliya were also blocked by Israeli authorities, he said.
In his statement, Guterres said: “Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to agree to and facilitate humanitarian aid.
“The unimpeded entry of assistance at scale to meet the enormous needs in Gaza must be restored immediately. The UN must be allowed to work in safety and security under conditions of full respect or humanitarian principles.”
