By Merve Aydogan
HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - A senior UN official on Thursday criticized Israeli authorities for obstructing humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the aid system has been "weaponized."
In a virtual news conference, Georgios Petropoulos, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) sub-office in Gaza, said, "Israeli authorities and military seem unwilling to open multiple access points at once," which said it hampers the delivery of vital supplies.
He said convoys attempting to cross into southern Gaza often face looting due to lawlessness. "Most of the areas in which these lootings happen are under the control of the Israeli forces," he said.
Petropoulos highlighted the dire humanitarian situation.
"Every day, as an aid worker in Gaza, you're forced to make horrible decisions. Should I let people die of starvation or the cold? Do we bring in more food to ease hunger or more plastic sheets for shelter?" said Petropoulos. "Famine is very likely already here.”
He described the difficulties of reaching Gaza City in the north, where access is restricted by fortified Israeli checkpoints.
"We don't have predictable access to these Israeli checkpoints. They don't open enough, and there are massive amounts of time spent simply waiting for them to decide to open,” he said.
Petropoulos also stated that the North Gaza governorate, with an estimated 30,000 - 50,000 remaining residents, continues to endure mass casualties and the destruction of entire neighborhoods due to bombardments.
Noting repeated obstructions to aid requests by Israel, Petropoulos said: "As humanitarians, we stand firm against being told where and how we should work in Gaza. We need to get to people wherever they are."
In response to Anadolu's question on whether developments in Syria have shifted international focus from Gaza, Petropoulos acknowledged the competition for attention in a region plagued by multiple crises.
"What I can promise you is that from where we are, we will make sure that the information we make available continues to be frequent and commensurate to the very acute crisis," he said.
Emphasizing Gaza’s unique plight, he stressed the severe restrictions on movement.
"The difference with any other humanitarian crisis or war response is that people simply cannot exit Gaza. Every single thing that we have in Gaza comes because someone outside Gaza -- most of the time the Israeli government -- decides that it can be in Gaza,” he said.
Petropoulos urged the international community to maintain its focus on Gaza, warning that neglect could worsen the situation.