UN Condemns Rafah Bombardment as ‘Unprecedented Humanitarian Failure’

Tuesday 25 June 2024 - 13:00

“For more than 2 million Gazans, it is a living hell, a nightmare from which they cannot wake up,” declared the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

In the midst of relentless bombardment by the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) on Gaza, Rafah has once again been targeted along with other areas of the besieged enclave. Artillery fire has struck the Nousseirat Palestinian camp in central Gaza and the Zeitoun district of Gaza City in the north, according to local sources.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal confirmed that an airstrike on the Al-Daraj hospital in Gaza City resulted in the deaths of two health professionals, including Hani Al Jafarwari, the director of ambulance and emergency services at Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

The Gaza Ministry of Health has released updated figures, reporting a staggering death toll of 37,626 since the IOF's military campaign began over eight months ago.

At least 28 individuals have lost their lives in the past 24 hours, while 86,098 have been injured since October 7. The ministry also reported that at least 500 health professionals have been killed in direct attacks since the onset of the conflict.

The IOF confirmed its ongoing “targeted operations” in the Rafah area, stating that they had “eliminated armed terrorists” and “dismantled tunnel entrances.”

Widespread looting and smuggling in Gaza have severely hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid, according to Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees. Speaking at a meeting in Geneva, Lazzarini expressed grave concern over the deteriorating civil order.

“The collapse of civil order is giving rise to widespread looting and smuggling, which is hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid that the population desperately needs," Lazzarini said. He emphasized that the situation over the past nine months represents an “unprecedented failure of humanity.”

Palestinians have faced tremendous suffering and loss, Lazzarini noted. “Gaza has been decimated. For more than 2 million Gazans, it is a living hell, a nightmare from which they cannot wake up,” he stressed.

The difficulties in delivering aid are exacerbated by limited access points. Only the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza remains open. According to UNRWA, hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.

“Children are dying of malnutrition and dehydration, while food and drinking water are waiting in trucks at the border with Israel or Egypt,” Lazzarini said, highlighting the urgency of reopening the Rafah crossing, which has been closed since early May.