Despair Increases in the “Death Zone”: UN Alarm Over “Appalling Conditions” in Gaza
Death seems to be “the only certainty” for the 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza, who cannot escape the relentless Israeli bombing, according to a UN official speaking about the growing despair in the region.
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Louise Wootton, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), told AFP from Gaza: “It really seems like people are waiting for death. Death seems to be the only thing certain in this situation.”
Wootton has been in Gaza for two weeks, witnessing the humanitarian crisis, the fear of death, and the spread of diseases due to the ongoing war.
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She said from the Nuseirat area in central Gaza, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli airstrikes: “There is no safe place in the Gaza Strip, no safe place at all. The situation is absolutely devastating.”
Israeli forces have been bombing the besieged territory by air, land, and sea since the war began in October, turning much of it into rubble.
In its eleventh month, the war has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom have been displaced multiple times, suffering from a lack of basic food supplies and clean drinking water.
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Wootton said: “We are facing unprecedented challenges in terms of disease spread and sanitation. This is partly due to the Israeli blockade of Gaza.”
The war erupted following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,199 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.
Israeli airstrikes, bombings, and ground operations in Gaza in response to the attack have resulted in the deaths of at least 40,173 people, according to the Hamas Health Ministry, which does not detail the number of fighters versus civilians. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that the majority of the dead are women and children.
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Rats, Mice, and Scorpions
Tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in schools across Gaza, which are increasingly being targeted by Israeli rockets.
The Israeli army claims that Hamas uses these schools as command centers, a charge that the group denies.
Wootton said: “Even the school is no longer a safe place… It feels like you are always a few buildings away from the front lines now.”
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She noted that a growing number of Gaza residents, tired of following the Israeli army’s “continuous” evacuation orders, are reluctant to move from place to place.
She explained: “They feel like they are trapped in a vicious circle… moving is difficult, especially with the heat and the presence of children, elderly, and disabled people.”
Many Gaza residents interviewed by AFP confirmed that they no longer want to move further with their families, tents, and remaining belongings.
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They criticized what they say is a lack of clarity in the Israeli evacuation orders, including the maps dropped from planes, as well as communication difficulties due to limited internet access, power outages, and communication issues.
Wootton mentioned that people still moving confirm that wherever they go, “there are rats, mice, scorpions, and cockroaches,” adding that insects “carry diseases from one shelter to another.”
Last week, Gaza’s Health Ministry announced that the territory had recorded its first case of polio in 25 years.
Wootton highlighted that the United Nations is waiting for Israeli approval to move from one tent to another to vaccinate children and prevent the spread of polio.
Despite months of failed negotiations, Wootton said that Gaza residents “always hope for a ceasefire” and “follow the negotiations closely.”
International mediators – the United States, Qatar, and Egypt – are set to hold a new round of talks in Cairo in the coming days in an attempt to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
