A United Nations convoy carrying essential food supplies was hit in the center of the Gaza Strip on February 5, preventing it from traveling north, the part of the territory where thousands of Palestinians are on the brink of hunger and food insecurity. According to CNN, the condition has become extremely critical.
Israeli forces fired on the convoy belonging to UNRWA, the largest humanitarian aid organization in Gaza. The vehicles were stopped at an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detention point before the attack after a route was agreed upon by both sides, according to UNRWA's internal incident report.
Although no one was injured, goods from one of the ten trucks carrying food, particularly wheat flour, which was essential to making bread and saving thousands of Palestinians from starvation, were destroyed.
“A convoy with food was on its way to the northern part of the Gaza Strip. This convoy, which was traveling towards the socalled buffer zones, was hit. One of the trucks carrying supplies was hit by Israeli naval fire,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA spokesperson.
The director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Tom White, published two photos on the social network X showing a truck with a hole in one of the sides.
After analyzing the photos and satellite images, CNN explains that the convoy, which was traveling along the AlRashid Strait which runs along the coast of the Gaza Strip was hit on the side facing the sea, indicating that ammunition was released came in this direction.
After the attack, the Israel Defense Forces said it was investigating the incident and declined to comment on the incident.
Since then, UNRWA has decided to suspend the deployment of humanitarian aid convoys to northern Gaza. The last food delivery was on January 23rd. According to the United Nations, access to 51% of relief operations planned by UNRWA and humanitarian partners in the north of the enclave was denied by Israeli authorities.
The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people still live north of Wadi Gaza, a strip that divides the territory and where around 16.2% of children have already been diagnosed with severe destruction above the threshold considered critical, according to the UN.
It is impossible to save lives
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating as the Israeli military offensive increases. Since the threat of UNRWA funding loss or the persecution of aid workers, barriers to accessing aid have multiplied as thousands of people die of hunger.
Following the scandal in which Israel accuses it of “collaborating with Hamas,” UNRWA risks losing funding and therefore the ability to deliver food, water and medicine to the millions of displaced people struggling to survive in the Gaza Strip are fighting from Gaza and are dependent on this help to survive.
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