14,000 babies could die in the next 48 hours in Gaza if they do not receive the necessary aid, warned the head of United Nations humanitarian aid on Tuesday, describing as a mere ‘drop in the ocean’ the limited amount of food and medicines that Israel allowed into the besieged Palestinian enclave yesterday, due to what Netanyahu called ‘diplomatic reasons’.
Speaking to BBC Radio and quoted by the international press, Tom Fletcher insisted that the five trucks of humanitarian aid that the Israeli authorities authorised yesterday to enter the Strip –at least 600 trucks a day would be needed– represent a minimal and totally inadequate portion to meet the basic needs of the population. He also said that the trucks, which include baby food, are technically in Gaza but have not been able to reach the civilian population because they have simply crossed the border but are being held back.
‘I want to save as many as these 14,000 babies as we can in the next 48 hours. It’ll be tough … but we’ll load those up with baby food and our people will run those risks,’ Fletcher said. When asked how the United Nations had obtained the figure that 48,000 babies are at risk of dying in the next 48 hours in Gaza, the UN humanitarian chief explained that ‘we have strong teams on the ground – and of course many of them have been killed… we he still have lots of people on the ground – they’re at the medical centres, they’re at the schools…trying to assess needs.’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has promised to take Gaza ‘completely’, announced yesterday that Israel would allow a ‘minimal amount’ of food into the Strip for ‘diplomatic grounds’, alluding to the pressure and criticism Israel has received, including from US senators. Netanyahu himself acknowledged that the ‘images of mass starvation’ in Gaza could damage the country’s image and the legitimacy of its actions in the Strip: ‘We must act in a way that cannot be stopped,’ he said, explaining to his supporters why he had authorised the entry of food into the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Few voices critical of Netanyahu’s plans within Israel
Although several countries, including Canada and European governments, have stepped up their criticism of Israel for its new attacks on Gaza, calls for an end to the violence to alleviate the suffering of the Gazans have had little effect, mainly because of the continued support for Netanyahu’s policies from US President Donald Trump, who even supports the idea of expelling the Palestinians from the region.
Within Israel, there are also few voices critical of Netanyahu’s plan for the ‘conquest’ Gaza; one of them is that of centre-left politician and former military officer Yair Golan, who said on Tuesday that Netanyahu is leading the country to become a pariah state that kills children ‘as a hobby’. “A sane country doesn’t engage in fighting against civilians, doesn’t kill babies as a hobby and doesn’t set for itself the goals of expelling a population. Israel is on the path to becoming a pariah state among the nations, like the South Africa of old,‘ he told a local radio station. In response, Netanyahu accused Golan of attacking Israeli soldiers and ’echoing the most despicable anti-Semitic blood libels against the army and the State of Israel.”
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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