THE SCENES ARE apocalyptic. It is a massacre. Bodies scattered on streets. Children bombed to bits. People burnt alive in tents and trapped under rubble. Hospitals under siege, unable to tend to the critically injured. After a year of unprecedented violence, unbelievably things have gotten worse in recent weeks in Gaza.
The outrageous vote in the Israeli Parliament to ban the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Israel is catastrophic. It means a vital humanitarian lifeline to the millions of Palestinian refugees suffering huge trauma is gone, with the UN agency’s ability to provide essential aid gone.
The reckless Israeli Knesset decision to dismantle the backbone of the international humanitarian operation in Gaza is going to aggravate an already desperate crisis. Dismantling UNRWA will be mean Palestinians especially in Gaza and the West Bank will be deprived of essentials such as food, water, medical aid, education and protection. These actions are part of the wider strategy of the Government of Israel to delegitimise UNRWA, discredit its support for Palestine refugees, and undermine the international legal framework protecting their rights, including the right of return. These laws will severely impact not only UNRWA’s operations but also the rights of Palestinian refugees.
By blocking UNRWA’s operations, Israel is also disregarding the ICJ provisional measure to ensure the delivery of life-saving aid into Gaza.
This reckless and dangerous situation comes in the context of famine, mass forced displacement and a campaign of terror in the north of Gaza in recent weeks.
On 6 October last, Israel issued mass forced displacement orders targeting the entirety of northern Gaza, instructing residents to flee to already overcrowded areas such as al-Mawasi in the south. It was estimated that there were over 400,000 people in northern Gaza, most of them displaced. These illegal forced displacement orders occurred amid reports that Israel plans to lay siege permanently to northern Gaza, designating anyone left behind as a military target and subjecting them to starvation.
Those who can flee face more terror as areas Israel designates as “humanitarian zones,” are later targeted with military operations after civilians had sought refuge there. By 9th September, only 11 per cent of the Gaza Strip had not been placed under forced displacement orders. 90 percent of Gaza had been displaced from their homes.
The population density of the small unilaterally-declared “humanitarian zone” has surged to 30,000 – 34,000 people per square kilometre, compared to 1,200 before October 2023. That is 30,000 – 34,000 people crammed into an area one 7th the size of the Phoenix Park, or into half the size of the Sport Ireland Campus, with no infrastructure to support their survival. Families exchange mattresses or sleep on the floor in the middle of the street, surrounded by sewage and destruction, alongside countless others searching for shelter in already overcrowded areas packed with displaced families.
Over 1.84 million people are experiencing acute food insecurity in Gaza, with nearly 133,000 already facing catastrophic conditions and a panic, mania and suffering that we cannot really comprehend from our safe distance in Ireland. Hospitals are under siege, with only one left operating in northern Gaza. Many dedicated hospital staff have been working around the clock every day since the crisis began more than 12 months ago.
One of these medics is Dr Mohammed Salha, the acting director of Al-Awda Hospital, ActionAid’s partner in northern Gaza. He has not seen his wife and family, who are based in south Gaza, for a year. Last week, he reported that the Israeli army surrounded the hospital, so nobody could enter or leave. They targeted anyone who moved in the vicinity of the hospital. They are also attacking the hospital, which was bombed last weekend causing damage and cutting off water supplies by targeting water tanks.
Al-Awda Hospital is overwhelmed with patients and facing shortages in medication, medical supplies, and food. The hospital has lost two ambulances, one of which was destroyed in an attack by the Israeli army which also killed two women. One of the women who was killed was a new mother who had given birth at Al-Awda Hospital. Her baby, who survived the attack, is now in an incubator in Kamal Adwan Hospital.
No place in Gaza is safe. Israel’s forced displacement orders have created panic and psychological trauma, especially for those already amongst the most vulnerable and the most unlikely to be able to escape. It also severely hinders access to vital aid.
There must be an end to this impunity. There is no viable alternative to UNRWA. With a mandate from the UN General Assembly, it provides crucial services such as education, healthcare and social support to millions of Palestinians. Tearing up UNRWA’s mandate is not only an affront to the values of multilateralism but also sets a dangerous precedent with global implications.
It is horrific to think that this vote was passed amidst the ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, who continue to attack populated areas, resulting in the mass killing of Palestinians, the obliteration of Gaza’s last remaining hospitals and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
As it stands, world leaders, particularly the United States and others, have allowed Israel to criminalise humanitarian aid. They must now stand against Israel’s illegal actions and use all means available to prevent this shameful legislation from being enforced. All states must support the International Criminal Court. UN Member States must also act decisively to uphold the UNGA Resolution on the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Israel’s illegal occupation.
Momentum is building in Ireland with movement towards the passing of the Occupied Territories Bill, championed by Frances Black and civil society. The government must ensure this Bill is enacted with all the urgency the situation requires.
Only an immediate and permanent ceasefire can halt this destruction. Governments must suspend arms sales to Israel and take immediate action, including sanctions, to end the violence.
We don’t need any more evidence of the horrors that are unfolding. The world must act now to protect civilian lives and uphold the rule of law.
Karol Balfe is the CEO of ActionAid Ireland. ActionAid has been working in the occupied Palestinian territory for many years supporting Palestinian people living without access to basic services www.actionaid.ie.
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