GAZA CITY: Thomas White, the director of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), has declared that the society in Gaza is on the verge of a “full-blown collapse.” He reported a breakdown in civil order, revealing that aid convoys are being looted, and UN vehicles are being stoned in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Melanie Ward, the chief of the Palestinian Aid Agency, said that it is becoming increasingly impossible to sustain human life in Gaza, especially as Israel continued its relentless bombing campaign. Ward highlighted the plight of Palestinian people in Gaza, many of whom have been displaced multiple times in recent days as they desperately try to survive Israeli bombing.
Reports from the ground paint a harrowing picture of the ongoing conflict. Al Jazeera shared a firsthand account from a civil defense crew member involved in evacuating people from Khan Younis. He described a horrifying incident where a group of Palestinian civilians, including women and children, queuing for water near Nasser Hospital, was targeted by multiple Israeli tank shells. The aftermath was described as “very bloody and shockingly graphic,” with children thrown to the side of the streets amidst pools of blood.
Israel Detains, Strips Palestinian Men in Gaza
The situation worsened when dozens of men taken from UN-affiliated schools in northern Gaza were rounded up under heavy gunfire, with snipers positioned around the school. The men were subjected to mistreatment, including being blindfolded, stripped of their clothes, and showing signs of beatings and torture.
Israeli media footage depicted over 100 Palestinian men, including doctors, academics, journalists, and the elderly, sitting in their underwear on the streets of Jabalia before being taken to an unknown location, according to the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees reported a grim toll on its staff, revealing that 133 members in Gaza have lost their lives since October 7. The agency’s premises have faced 129 incidents impacting its operations, with 34 installations directly hit and 57 sustaining collateral damage.
