NEW YORK: The humanitarian situation in Gaza, already critical, is now “fast becoming untenable,” UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement.
There is no power, water or fuel in Gaza, and food is running dangerously low, Griffiths said, urging all countries with influence to use it to ensure respect for the rules of war, and avoid further escalation.
The actions and rhetoric by Hamas and Israel in the past few days is “extremely alarming, unacceptable,” Griffiths said.
Civilians and civilian infrastructure must protected, he said.
In Gaza, families have been bombed while inching their way south along congested, damaged roads following an evacuation order by Israel that left hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for safety but with nowhere to go, Griffiths said.
Even wars have rules, and these rules must be upheld at all times and by all sides, he said.
“Civilians must be allowed to leave for safer areas. And whether they move or stay, constant care must be taken to spare them,” Griffiths said.
He said anyone captive must be treated humanely, and all hostages must be released.
“Civilians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory are suffering from a week of utter anguish and devastation,” Griffiths said. “I fear that the worst is yet to come.”
“The past week has been a test for humanity,” he said, “and humanity is failing.”
The European Commission said it was tripling its current humanitarian assistance for Gaza to €75 million ($78.8 million) and would work with UN agencies to ensure the aid reaches those in need.
“The commission supports Israel’s right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorists, in full respect of international humanitarian law,” the EU executive said in a statement.
“We are working hard to ensure that innocent civilians in Gaza are provided support in this context.”
The EU decided earlier this week to maintain aid to Palestinians, backtracking after a commissioner said the European Commission was putting all its development aid for Palestinians, worth €691 million, under review.
The UN humanitarian office appealed on Friday for nearly $294 million to help some 1.3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank, nearly half for food aid as supplies run out.
