UNRWA: Aid Distribution in Gaza Is an Invitation to Death

Aid Distribution in Gaza Is an Invitation to Death

 UNRWA: Aid Distribution Model in Gaza Is an Invitation to Death

While the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced the temporary closure of all aid distribution centers in the Palestinian Strip, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed that the aid distribution model is ineffective.

UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma said, "This aid distribution model is ineffective; it is tantamount to inviting people to their deaths."

Touma also emphasized that "the only way to distribute aid on a large scale and safely to the people of Gaza is through the United Nations, including UNRWA." In statements to CNN on Saturday, she said that the agency's work during the ceasefire was successful and tangible.

Closing Centers

These statements came after the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, supported by the United States and Israel, temporarily closed all its aid distribution centers in the Gaza Strip. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, it said the closure was due to safety reasons and urged residents to stay away from the facilities.

However, it did not specify how long the suspension of aid distribution would last, coinciding with Eid al-Adha, a time when family gatherings and festive meals are expected.

The Geneva-based organization, established last February with American and Israeli support, began distributing food on May 26, but was quickly halted due to the chaos that prevailed during the distribution process and the firing by Israel and "local gunmen," which has led to the deaths of dozens of civilians more than once in recent days.

The United Nations has refused to cooperate with the organization, saying it violates basic humanitarian principles, particularly since food distribution is conducted under the control of the Israeli military, with most of it concentrated in southern Gaza.

It is worth noting that Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the devastated Palestinian Strip since last March following the collapse of a fragile truce with Hamas. It resumed its war last May, penetrating new areas and declaring it would not withdraw from the areas it controls.