Press Release
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On Tuesday 10/31/2023, the Egyptian Coalition for Human Rights and Development issues a report monitoring the obstructions and restrictions that humanitarian relief organizations were subjected to in the period from October 7 to October 30 by the occupation army and the Israeli government to prevent the humanitarian aid provided by these organizations from reaching the Gaza Strip.
What these organizations were exposed to were summarized as follows:
The Israeli government imposed a complete siege on the Gaza Strip since October 8, and closed the crossings through which humanitarian aid enters the Gaza Strip before October 7, and targeted the Rafah crossing itself on October 10, twice within 24 hours. The strike was able to destroy the entrance to the crossing, as confirmation of its seriousness in continuing the illegal siege of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army forces also attacked and bombed many civilian facilities affiliated with the United Nations and UNRWA, including hospitals, schools, and shelters for those displaced from the war.
Extremely stringent inspection procedures were imposed on aid coming through the crossing at the Nitzana crossing between Israel and Egypt, about 40 km from Rafah, for trucks coming from Egypt to Gaza, in order to increase the severity of the slowdown in the flow of humanitarian aid and the arrival of small quantities.
The occupation forces also launch violent attacks indiscriminately on all areas and crossings in the Gaza Strip, without prior warning, and without identifying safe corridors for humanitarian aid to pass through, which hinders the work of many organizations.
The occupation forces prevent the entry of fuel, and only allow very small quantities under the pretext that Hamas will exploit this fuel to make weapons and explosives, but in reality they deliberately prevent fuel from entering the Gaza Strip in order to harm civilians in the Strip.
On Friday, October 27, the Israeli government cut off communications and Internet services in the Strip and intensified its air strikes, in an attempt to obstruct the humanitarian response to civilians in the Gaza Strip by hospitals and organizations and block them from the outside world.
The occupation army also intimidates the employees of relief organizations because of their killing of them and their families along with the people of Gaza. Some of them are forced to flee outside the Gaza Strip, for fear of the crimes of the occupation army and the lack of guarantees for their safety.
Regarding the complaints of relief organizations, many statements were monitored issued by (the United Nations Fund – the Palestine Red Crescent Society – the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process – the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – the World Food Program). All of which indicate the catastrophic situation in Gaza as a result of the shortage of fuel, food, and medical materials, the lack of water, and the difficulty of accessing humanitarian supplies. All humanitarian agencies and their employees also face severe restrictions in terms of providing humanitarian aid due to the continuation of hostilities, the restrictions imposed, and the institutions being cut off from their employees inside the Strip due to the cut off of communications.
While 17 UNRWA employees were killed, many of the 13,000 employees were displaced, and at least 35 of the organization’s facilities were damaged, some of which were hit by direct strikes.
The report concluded with a set of recommendations, which were as follows:
We call for an immediate ceasefire, with immediate and unrestricted permission for humanitarian aid to enter all parts of Gaza to enable humanitarian actors to reach civilians in need. The flow of this humanitarian aid must be on a large and continuous scale, and to provide all the people of Gaza a decent life.
We call for the protection of humanitarian workers in Gaza who risk their lives to serve others, protect humanitarian facilities, and respect the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality that humanitarian work emphasizes globally.
We call on the occupation forces and Western society to respect international humanitarian law to the fullest extent, and we call on Western society and the United States of America to stop practicing double standards when talking about the Palestinian cause.
We call for the provision of water, food, health care, including sexual and reproductive health care, and the fuel necessary to provide basic services, and for all of this to be available in a safe and continuous manner.
We call for the protection of all civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including health care facilities.
We demand an urgent international trial of the occupation army for the crimes it committed against the Palestinian people.
