A senior United Nations accused Israel of submitting civilians to Gaza to forced famine, warning that the situation can constitute a war crime.
In an interview with the BBC, Tom Fletcher, the UN humanitarian leader, said that denying food to a hungry population could not be justified. “It is classified as a war crime. Obviously, these are problems for the courts to take judgment, and finally so that history takes a judgment,” he said.
Israel imposed an almost total blockade in Gaza for almost three months before granting limited aid last week. Since then, chaotic scenes have taken place in distribution centers led by the Gaza Humaninian Foundation (GHF), a group supported by the United States and Israeli not supported by the UN.
The United Nations reported that 47 people had been injured earlier this week during a race using such a site.
Mr. Fletcher said: “We see food fixed at the borders and are not allowed to enter when there is a population on the other side of the border that is hungry, and we hear Israeli ministers say that this must put pressure on the population of Gaza.”
“We would expect that governments around the world represent international humanitarian law, the international community is very, very clear on this subject,” said Fletcher.
Hamas says that the ceasefire plan prohibits the United States will extend the Israeli aggression in Gaza
A proposal for a ceasefire advanced by the Trump administration was criticized by Hamas, which affirms that the current terms would lead only to killing and famine in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The plan, which, according to the United States, says that Israel has already accepted, remains under examination by the management of Hamas, Al Jazeera reported.
Hamas officials claim that the proposal does not have the basic guarantees that the Palestinians have long requested: a permanent judgment for Israeli military operations, a total withdrawal of occupation forces and unhindered humanitarian access.
“The agreement does not respond to any of the requests of our inhabitants, above all, interrupting the war,” said Basem Naim, member of the Hamas political bureau. “Nevertheless, the leadership of the movement is studying the answer with complete national responsibility.”
An answer is expected by the end of the week even if tensions prevail in the field and in diplomatic canals.
A plan with conditions
According to a project seen by ReutersThe ceasefire plan would extend 60 days and include the release of 28 Israeli hostages, both alive and died, in exchange for 125 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 Palestinians. The conditions have not been publicly revealed by officials on each side.
Mediated by Egypt and Qatar, and would have been guaranteed by President Donald Trump, the plan would allow international aid to flow to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs the agreement.
However, the senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that the proposal had included an Israeli commitment to end the war or lift the blockade, which raises serious doubts about his sincerity.
“This is only another attempt to pressure resistance while the civilians of Gaza continue to suffer,” said Zuhri Reuters.
READ: Israeli strikes kill 55 people in Gaza today
Contradictory accounts
Earlier this week, Hamas said that he had reached an initial understanding with Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, involving a framework for a permanent ceasefire and the creation of a neutral administrative organization to manage Gaza d’Etu-war.
Witkoff, however, denied that such an agreement had been concluded, calling the version of “completely unacceptable” Hamas. An American official described the group’s declaration as “inaccurate and disappointing”.
Israeli officials have also rejected Hamas’ account, with an anonymous source quoted in the local media labeling it “psychological war”.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported a desire to move forward with the proposal supported by the United States, according to relationships shared with families of Israeli captives. Some analysts suggest that this could be a political calculation aimed at imposing the blame on Hamas if the talks collapse.
“This is not the first time that Netanyahu has made an agreement impossible to accept, then blame Hamas for failure,” said Israeli analyst Akiva Eldar Al Jazeera.
On the ground: war and hunger
The situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. Since Israel resumed its military assault on March 18 after having broken the terms of the ceasefire, more than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed, which is more than 54,000 Palestinians, making the total number of deaths in the enclave at more than 54,000.
The blockade on humanitarian aid has pushed many regions of Gaza to the edge of the famine. Although Israel partially attenuated its restrictions on May 19, allowing help to enter, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the relief “a teaspoon of what is necessary”.
Find out more: Hamas accepts the cease-fire proposal, but Israel rejects it
This week, chaotic scenes took place while thousands of Palestinians have invaded limited aid deliveries distributed by the Gaza humanitarian foundation supported by the United States and Israeli – a new controversial initiative criticized by many members of the region for lack of transparency and local coordination.
The War of Israel against Gaza
The Gaza Ministry of Health said on Sunday that at least 3,785 people had been killed in the territory since a cease-fire collapsed on March 18, taking the overall war of war at 53,939, mainly civilians, according to AFP.
The atrocities of Israel have moved around 90% of the 2 million estimated residents of Gaza, created a serious hunger crisis and caused general destruction across the territory.
The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 61,000 Palestinians, most women and children, according to Al Jazeera.
The International Criminal Court published arrest mandates last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for his war against the enclave.
