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United Nations

"Cruel and Machiavellian Scheme" in Gaza: UN Chief Warns of Increasing Violence

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The situation in Gaza is dire, with over 800 Palestinians killed since May while seeking aid, according to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini. The Israeli military has killed 15 people, including nine children and four women, as they waited in line for nutritional supplements in Deir el-Balah. The UN Secretary-General's spokesperson has confirmed that 819 Palestinians have been killed while waiting for food, with 634 killed near GHF sites and 185 near other humanitarian aid convoys. UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani reported 798 killings near aid points in Gaza between May and July 7. Israeli soldiers and US contractors working with GHF have admitted to shooting unarmed Palestinians gathering for food, according to reports by Haaretz and The Associated Press. The situation is described as "the worst that he has ever seen it" by Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Programme, who reports that the WFP has enough food to feed Gaza for two months, but trucks are not being let in.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 800 Palestinians have been killed since May while seeking aid in Gaza, with 638 killed near GHF sites and 181 near other humanitarian aid convoys.
  • Israeli soldiers and US contractors working with GHF have admitted to shooting unarmed Palestinians gathering for food.
  • The UN human rights office recorded 798 killings near aid points in Gaza between May and July 7.
  • The World Food Programme has enough food to feed Gaza for two months, but trucks are not being let in.
  • The Israeli government is planning to build a "humanitarian city" in Rafah, likened to a concentration camp, which will eventually house Gaza's entire population of 2.1 million.
  • Analyst Daniel Levy notes that the GHF aid hubs were an integral part of a plan to bait Palestinians into moving towards Rafah.
  • Rafah is being used as a "staging post" to "ethnically cleanse" Palestinians from the rest of Gaza, according to Levy.
  • The UN Secretary-General's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, has warned that Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid access into Gaza are placing countless lives at risk.

Statistics:

  • 819 Palestinians killed while waiting for food in Gaza since May
  • 634 killed near GHF sites
  • 185 killed near other humanitarian aid convoys
  • 798 killings near aid points in Gaza between May and July 7
  • 10 of 31 people killed on July 11 in Israeli attacks, including 8 children
  • 31 people killed in Gaza on July 11
  • 2.1 million Palestinians living in Gaza
  • 4 GHF aid hubs located in the south of Gaza

Sources:

  • Al Jazeera: "Israeli attacks kill 82 amid forced displacement plans, truce talks in Gaza"
  • Al Jazeera: "Beyond horrific: Several killed in Israeli attack on north Gaza school"
  • Haaretz: "Israeli soldiers ordered to shoot at unarmed Gaza aid seekers, report says"
  • The Associated Press: "Israel kills more than 300 Palestinians in 48 hours as ceasefire in balance"
  • X (formerly Twitter): Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini)
  • X (formerly Twitter): Ravina Shamdasani (@UNHumanRights)
  • Al Jazeera: "US/Middle East Project President Daniel Levy tells Al Jazeera"
  • World Food Programme: Carl Skau, deputy executive director
  • Al Jazeera: "Gaza's Health Ministry says patients 'continue to be placed on the brink of death every day'"
  • UN Secretary-General: Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson

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