UNRWA Chief Slams Gaza Aid as 'Mockery' amid Soaring Death Toll from Israeli Offensive
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has denounced current aid deliveries to Gaza as a “mockery,” saying they fall woefully short of addressing the scale of suffering caused by Israel’s ongoing brutal war campaign.
The limited flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza is grossly inadequate, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement posted on X.
“There are reports that 900 trucks were sent in the past two weeks. That’s just over 10 per cent of the daily needs of people in Gaza,” Lazzarini stated.
“The aid that’s being sent now makes a mockery of the mass tragedy unfolding under our watch,” he said.
“We are back to the blaming game while the people of Gaza are starving and trying to survive heavy bombardments.”
He stressed that humanitarian organizations are not seeking anything extraordinary.
“We are not asking for the impossible,” Lazzarini added. “Allow the UN including UNRWA and humanitarian partners to do our work: assist people in need and preserve their dignity.”
Lazzarini pointed out that during the previous ceasefire, the UN had managed to deliver 600 to 800 aid trucks daily, which had helped avert famine at the time.
“The current mass starvation can be stopped. It takes political will,” he said.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 54,381 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war on the enclave in October 2023.
In the past 24 hours alone, 60 bodies were recovered and brought to hospitals.
An additional 284 people were injured, bringing the total number of wounded to 124,054.
Many victims remain trapped under rubble or on roads, unreachable by rescuers due to the ongoing bombardment.
Israel resumed its brutal assault on Gaza on March 18, abruptly ending a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement that had been in place since January.
While the bombardment intensifies, UN officials and aid agencies say civilians are being starved and systematically denied access to essential supplies.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza assault.
Separately, Israel is also facing genocide proceedings at the International Court of Justice over its actions in the besieged territory.
