Gaza, MINA – Jonathan Whittall, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has issued a grave warning about the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, describing the situation as a “slow-motion massacre.” Palestine Information Center reported.
Speaking from Gaza on Sunday, Whittall stated that civilians are being killed daily simply for attempting to access food, in blatant violation of international humanitarian law. “Merely attempting to get food has become a death sentence,” he said.
More than 400 Palestinians have reportedly been killed while trying to reach aid since the blockade was partially eased over a month ago. In one incident, Whittall recounted, an Israeli tank fired on a crowd waiting for aid, killing around 60 and wounding hundreds.
Whittall emphasized that many victims were in areas inaccessible to ambulances, and some were shot near aid sites jointly operated by the US and Israel, often located in militarized zones. He also confirmed that armed gangs have targeted desperate civilians near these locations.
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The health care system in Gaza is on the brink of total collapse, according to Whittall. Nasser Hospital, one of the few remaining partially operational facilities, is overcrowded and critically under-resourced. Many hospitals are out of fuel, under attack, or forced to evacuate.
The water situation is equally catastrophic, with wells running dry or becoming inaccessible due to damage and fuel shortages. “Children are queuing for hours for water trucks that often never arrive,” he noted.
Famine is rapidly spreading. According to Whittall, UNICEF data shows over 110 children are being admitted daily to hospitals for severe malnutrition since the start of 2024. Food shortages have worsened as aid is often looted or seized by gangs.
“Hunger is being used as a weapon,” he warned. “This is not a humanitarian failure, it is a political one.”
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Whittall accused Israel of deliberately erasing Palestinian life from Gaza, stating that “everything we are witnessing is preventable” and calling for full legal accountability. He also demanded stronger international pressure and a permanent ceasefire in accordance with ICJ rulings.
“Palestinian life is being systematically dismantled before the world’s eyes,” he concluded.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli military operations, backed by the US, have resulted in over 187,000 Palestinian casualties, including a majority of women and children. More than 11,000 remain missing, and hundreds of thousands are displaced. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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