The situation has become more dangerous.. Outrage after Israel cut off aid to Gaza

Israel is facing sharp criticism for halting all food and other supplies from entering Gaza, amid widespread anger after Israel cut off aid to Gaza to pressure Hamas to accept a new ceasefire proposal, according to the Washington Post.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the ceasefire had saved countless lives, adding that "any breakdown of the momentum built over the past six weeks risks throwing people back into despair."

Tom Fletcher, the UN's top humanitarian official, called Israel's decision "alarming," noting that international humanitarian law makes clear that aid must be allowed in. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders accused Israel of using the aid as a bargaining chip, calling it "unacceptable" and "outrageous."

Five NGOs also asked the Israeli Supreme Court to issue a temporary injunction preventing the occupation from blocking the entry of aid into Gaza, claiming that this move violates Israel's obligations under international law.

According to the Washington Post, Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza in the early days of the war and only eased it under American pressure. UN agencies and relief organizations accused Israel of not facilitating sufficient aid during the 15 months of war.

The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel used “starvation as a method of warfare” when it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu last year. That allegation is also at the heart of South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide.

The situation in Gaza is more dangerous

For its part, the British newspaper The Guardian said that Israel's withholding of aid raises health concerns among the malnourished residents of Gaza, at a time when agencies say that the health situation is "catastrophic" and that the aid that was recently delivered was a small part of what was required.

The newspaper added in its analysis that the situation in Gaza has now become more dangerous. Nearly 70% of buildings across the coastal strip have been destroyed or damaged.

Under these circumstances, Oxfam described the aid that reached Gaza during the six-week ceasefire as a “drop in the ocean.”

Even during the six weeks of the ceasefire, Israel continued to impose strict controls on what humanitarian shipments were allowed in, the newspaper reported. Aid agencies complained that many medical equipment was denied entry on the grounds that it was “dual-use.”

Water tanks were also banned, leaving people to rely on wells, which in the wake of the conflict became insufficient to meet the population’s needs.

There are about 1,500 water access points operating across Gaza, and the UN says water production and supply are now at a quarter of pre-war levels.

According to the Guardian, health issues remain a major concern, with an estimated 80% of Gaza's health infrastructure destroyed by the war and 1,000 medical workers killed.

The World Health Organization estimates that up to 14,000 Palestinians in Gaza are in need of medical evacuation, including 4,500 children.

Source: Washington Post + The Guardian