Washington, D.C. — Palestinians in Gaza are facing an imminent famine—a result of the Israeli government’s direct and indirect actions that have obstructed aid delivery and abdicated responsibility for deteriorating security conditions, according to a new column from the Center for American Progress
The column says the severity of the situation was exposed last month when thousands of desperate civilians rushed a convoy of food trucks and Israeli soldiers fired into the crowd, killing more than 100 people. The incident revealed a security vacuum filled by local clans that are not always working in the public interest.
The empowerment of clans poses new security challenges and raises the specter of increased lawlessness and criminal activity that will only further hamper the delivery of aid to Gaza, the column says. Instead, the Palestinian Authority—currently the only legitimate Palestinian governing body—is best placed to implement governance plans in the immediate term.
Israel must abide by a March 24 U.N. Security Council resolution that demands it immediately lift barriers to aid delivery, allowing international organizations to move quickly and efficiently. Without immediate improvements in security and a major increase in humanitarian deliveries, death and suffering in Gaza may exceed that caused by military strikes.
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