Inside Gaza: It can only get worse
inthenews.co.uk has been told of a family of six Gazans who are yet to receive medical treatment five days after their house was destroyed
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Ongoing Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip will ultimately strengthen Hamas' position and fan the flames of radicalism, a Middle East expert has told inthenews.co.uk. |  |
Thursday, 08, Jan 2009 08:01
By Matthew Champion
The unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip can and only will get worse, aid agencies demanding an immediate ceasefire have told inthenews.co.uk.
Aid workers on the ground in Gaza have been revealing the true extent of the human catastrophe taking place as Israeli military action enters its 13th day.
inthenews.co.uk has been told of one incident where a family of six Palestinians, including two 80-year-old women, have still not been reached by medical staff five days after their house was bombarded.
Amid reports of continued attacks upon ambulances and Red Cross workers, medical supplies in Gaza are dwindling further and hospitals becoming overwhelmed.
Miri Weingarten of Tel Aviv-based Physicians for Human Rights told inthenews.co.uk the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was now "unprecedented".
She said international observers, who had previously used Gaza as a yardstick for humanitarian problems, were running out of superlatives.
"People have been saying things like 'the worst humanitarian crisis since 2000', and as it keeps getting worse and worse people put up their threshold because of Gaza," Ms Weingarten told inthenews.co.uk.
"But it's never been as bad as this before."
Ahmed Sourani, director of Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC), could hear shelling as he spoke to inthenews.co.uk from Gaza.
He explained that nothing had changed on the ground, despite a three-hour daily ceasefire being announced and reports of a permanent truce being agreed upon in principle.
"There are casualties daily, many people are killed in the street," he said. "Yesterday some trucks came through from Israel to deliver to basic supplies to UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency] and the main cities. But it is difficult for many people to get supplies - there is some food in the shops but they accept only cash and many people do not now have money.
"Many people are sheltering in UNWRA schools, but there was the massacre yesterday; it was very offensive. People are more nervous and scared now about taking shelter in schools but nowhere is safe. We don't think the situation is going to [improve]."
Ms Weingarten added that even as Franco-Egyptian diplomats were hailing the favourable reaction given to their peace plan the Israeli cabinet was approving further strikes in Gaza.
She explained that there was still widespread support for the operation, with Israelis under the misconception that their government had no choice.
But more signs of doubt are developing, Ms Weingarten said, particularly since the ground offensive began.
She said that the only way to create security and safety of life for both Palestinians and Israelis was an immediate end to the military operation.
"But it doesn't seem as though there is anybody with both the political will and power to do such a thing," Ms Weingarten continued.
"We cannot see in any way how the indiscriminate killing of civilians, the destruction of infrastructure and the denial of basic needs for such an enormous population can lead to any kind of peace or progress in our region.
"When you start a war this one-sided, you never know how to get out of it. There can be no victory, it can only get worse. We must cut our losses."
Christian Aid is among charities appealing for donations to help the plight of civilians in Gaza. Click here to donate to its emergency Gaza appeal.