August 2, 2025 | 08:29 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A United Nations official on Friday raised alarm over the growing number of Palestinian civilians killed or injured in the Gaza Strip while trying to access basic food supplies.
UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq, citing data from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters that a significant number of residents had lost their lives while searching for food.
"According to our human rights colleagues, more than 100 people were killed in the past two days alone, with hundreds of others injured along food convoy routes or near Israeli militarized distribution hubs," Haq said, as quoted by Antara.
He added that OCHA had reiterated a core humanitarian principle: "No one should be forced to risk their lives to get food."
Haq stressed the need to protect civilians and ensure that large-scale aid distribution is enabled rather than obstructed.
"Civilians must always be protected, and community-level aid delivery at scale must be facilitated, not obstructed," he stated.
The worsening shortage of essential supplies, he noted, has deepened the humanitarian crisis, which can only be addressed by “unrestricted flow of aid” into the territory.
However, Haq said UN personnel continue to face “obstacles and dangers” along aid routes assigned by Israeli authorities.
“The routes that Israeli authorities instruct our teams to drive through remain insufficient and are often dangerous, congested or impassable,” he explained.
He emphasized that humanitarian workers must be allowed “fast, safe, and unimpeded access to deliver aid in a safe and dignified manner.”
In a separate statement, Human Rights Watch accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting Palestinians seeking food. The group claimed that Israeli troops stationed near US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) centers had turned aid distribution into deadly events.
“US-backed Israeli forces and private contractors have put in place a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths,” said Belkis Wille, crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch.
Nearly 22 months into the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Gaza has plunged into famine, with a UN-mandated expert reporting deaths from starvation.
On Friday, only 73 aid trucks entered the territory—far below the 600-truck daily minimum needed to address critical shortages in health, food, and other essential sectors, according to Gaza’s government media office, as reported by Anadolu.
The office claimed many trucks were looted amid “engineered chaos and famine” allegedly created by Israeli forces.
“We condemn the continued closure of border crossings and the deliberate starvation campaign,” the office said, placing full responsibility for the worsening humanitarian catastrophe on Israel and its allies.
The statement called for the urgent reopening of all borders and the delivery of adequate food, fuel, and infant formula.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for 18 years and shut all crossings since March 2, further worsening the humanitarian conditions. According to reports by Al Jazeera, the famine has now reached a tipping point, affecting more than two million residents.
Vulnerable groups such as children, as well as adults, are now dying from hunger.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that nearly 100,000 women and children require urgent treatment for malnutrition, and nearly one-third of Gaza’s population “have not eaten for days.” Medical staff say essential treatments and medicines have been depleted.
The World Health Organization (WHO) noted a dramatic surge in hunger-related illnesses, with the majority of Gaza’s population now starving.
Doctors Without Borders added that a quarter of young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women examined at its clinics last week were malnourished, attributing the crisis to the “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon” by Israel.
Editor's Choice: Hamas Releases Video of Malnourished Israeli Hostage in Gaza Tunnel
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Hamas Releases Video of Malnourished Israeli Hostage in Gaza Tunnel
52 menit lalu
The video released by Hamas shows an Israeli captive, Evyatar David, who was 24 years old when taken captive, in a weak and malnourished state.
Four US Democratic Lawmakers Urge Trump to End War in Gaza
4 jam lalu
Four House Democrats from the Democratic Party urge President Donald Trump to immediately end the war in Gaza by making efforts to bring all parties back to the negotiating table.
Understanding the California Prop 65 Label Seen on Indonesian Spice Product
5 jam lalu
A video circulating on social media shows an Indonesian spice product bearing the Prop 65 or Proposition 65 label from California.
Macron: Gaza Airdrops Not Enough, Israel Must Allow Full Humanitarian Access
6 jam lalu
French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that airdropping humanitarian aid to Gaza is not enough to ease the widespread hunger crisis.
Bloody Friday in Gaza: Israel Kills 106 Palestinians in 24 Hours
6 jam lalu
At least 106 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Friday, a day described by an Al Jazeera correspondent as "Bloody Friday."
Abbas Proposes Demilitarized Palestinian State, Including Gaza
7 jam lalu
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday said he wanted a demilitarized Palestinian state, including Gaza.
Israeli Military Chief Threatens Resignation if Hamas Talks Collapse
8 jam lalu
Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir called on the Netanyahu government to make a firm decision about whether to continue the war in Gaza.
Why Is Britain and France's Recognition of Palestine Considered Symbolic?
11 jam lalu
France leads several countries to recognize Palestine, but the recognition is deemed to be only symbolic.
Trump Convinced Israel's Netanyahu Prolongs Gaza Offensive for Political Gains
1 hari lalu
An accusation made by Donald Trump against the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly prolonging the war in Gaza for personal political interests.
Top 10 Best Food Cities in the US for Culinary Travel
1 hari lalu
Countless culinary delights await discovery on your US trip. And, tese best food cities in the US stand at the forefront of your journey.
