WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said today that the deaths of dozens of people killed in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday as they tried to access a food distribution center were "the result of deliberate decisions" by Israel.
"Yesterday alone (Tuesday), dozens of deaths were reported in hospitals after Israeli forces announced they had opened fire. This is the result of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived two million people of basic necessities of life," Fletcher said.
Aid centers run by the US-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were closed today in the Palestinian territory, where roads leading to distribution sites are "combat zones," the Israeli military warned.
The GHF's announcement of the closures followed a series of deadly incidents near a small number of sites it manages.
On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in the southern Gaza Strip when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF facility. The military said the incident was under investigation.
"The world is witnessing, day after day, horrific scenes of the killing of Palestinians in Gaza who are simply trying to feed themselves," Fletcher said.
He reiterated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for independent investigations into the incidents so that those responsible can be brought to justice.
No one should risk their lives to feed their children, Fletcher said.
The GHF began distributing food parcels on May 27, but the UN and major aid agencies have refused to cooperate with it.
The UN has consistently called on Israel to open crossings into the tiny Palestinian territory to allow sufficient aid to reach the traumatized population.
"We need to be allowed to do our job. We have the teams, the plan, the supplies and the experience to distribute aid. Open all crossings. Let vital aid in on a large scale. Lift restrictions on the type and amount of aid we can deliver," Fletcher said.
