[중동전쟁]
Residents suffering due to Israeli military blockade
Some hospitals rely on wells to survive
International organizations “must allow relief supplies to be brought in”
“The Gaza Strip, on the verge of collapse, has returned to the medieval era.”
Due to the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip, Hamas’ stronghold, are in extreme danger of survival. This is because the supply of goods was completely cut off due to Israel’s complete blockade of the Gaza Strip and power cutoff. Some hospitals, unable to even use emergency generators, are barely surviving by relying on wells.
The Gaza Strip, which has suffered from Israel’s strong blockade policy since before the war, is called ‘the world’s largest prison without bars.’ As a result, in addition to the already significant suffering of the residents, there was also a shortage of water, food, electricity, and medicine due to the war.
According to CNN on the 12th, at least 600,000 Gaza residents currently do not have access to water. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) also expressed concern that there were only 12 days’ worth of food and water left for at least 250,000 refugees. The New York Times diagnosed that although the majority of refugees are taking shelter in UN-run schools, they are not free from the threat of air raids.
Accordingly, Al Jazeera broadcast on the 11th, “The Gaza Strip has returned to the medieval era. “It’s on the verge of collapse,” he commented. As power has been cut off, residents are conducting night searches, relying on the faint light of cell phones to find survivors trapped in the rubble of buildings collapsed by Israeli airstrikes. Hospitals treating the injured only have enough power to last two to four days.
The Israeli military’s position is that they are “only attacking places where Hamas affiliates are located,” but indiscriminate airstrikes are also pouring into civilian facilities such as hospitals, schools, and mosques. The Red Crescent announced on the 11th that at least four Palestinian medical workers were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
The United Nations, the European Union (EU), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Red Cross, and the Red Crescent, a Red Cross organization in the Islamic world, all called for humanitarian assistance, saying that Israel’s total blockade was likely to violate international law. On the 11th, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus appealed to Israel, “Please secure a passage through which relief materials can be brought into the Gaza Strip.”
Even U.S. President Joe Biden, who fully supports Israel, urged Israel to “obey the laws of war.” It is interpreted that the statement was made in response to concerns that innocent civilian casualties could increase rapidly if even the minimum amount of relief supplies is not allowed to be brought in.
The United States is discussing with Israel, Egypt, and the United Nations a plan to allow some civilian passage through the Gaza Strip. In particular, a plan to allow only those holding U.S. passports to go to the Gaza Strip through the ‘Rafah Checkpoint’ controlled by border countries Egypt and Israel is influential. After this war, this checkpoint has been closed.
However, even if this checkpoint is opened, Israel intends to limit civilian movement to a maximum of 2,000 people per day. Egypt is also wary of large numbers of Gaza residents crossing into Egypt. Considering this, the suffering of Gaza residents is expected to continue for a considerable period of time.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.