Israel Obstructs Provision of Humanitarian Assistance in Gaza

The World Health Organization Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed Al Mandhari denounced that humanitarian organizations cannot easily access the Palestinian territories to offer aid to the wounded and provide basic supplies.

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In the West Bank, there have been reports of obstructions to medical equipment, assaults on health workers, confiscation of ambulances, and military raids on health centers.

Al Mandhari also denounced the almost complete destruction of a primary care center and substantial damage to the only laboratory for COVID-19 tests in the Gaza Strip. This happened during an Israeli attack that resulted in severe injuries to a doctor who is currently in an intensive care unit.

The WHO regional director emphasized that health centers should neither be targets of military actions nor "collateral damage" caused by them. He also urged Israeli authorities to allow the evacuation of the wounded from the Gaza Strip, where over 75,000 Palestinians have been displaced by the bombing

The United Nations Human Rights Council announced that it will hold an urgent meeting on May 27 to discuss "the grave situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem".

Supported by 63 countries, this meeting was called by Pakistan, which is the current coordinator of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Several countries have attempted to establish negotiations for Israel to cease its attacks on the Gaza Strip. So far, however, Israel has denied this possibility.

Even the United States has asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce violence and do what is necessary to de-escalate the conflict. This request has also gone unheeded and the Israeli army continues to bombard the Gaza Strip.