UN Warns Israel Is Using Gaza Aid as Bait to Force Displacement
Gaza (Quds News Network)- The United Nations has warned that Israel is using humanitarian aid in Gaza as bait to force Palestinians to flee their homes. The warning follows Israel’s new plan to distribute aid only in designated zones in southern Gaza, far from where hundreds of thousands of people live.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said the plan violates basic humanitarian principles. He warned it would push people to choose “between displacement and death.”
Elder also condemned Israel’s use of facial recognition technology to control who gets aid. He said it amounts to spying and violates international humanitarian law.
“The plan is dangerous,” Elder said. “It risks turning aid into a weapon of war.”
UN agencies say the aid crisis is not caused by mismanagement, but by Israel’s total blockade. Gaza has been under full siege for more than two months. Food, fuel, and medicine are almost gone.
More than 3,000 UN aid trucks are stuck outside Gaza. Juliette Touma, communications director for UNRWA, said the supplies include food and medicine. Many are now at risk of expiring while children inside Gaza starve.
“Let the aid in. Lift the siege. Save lives,” she said.
Inside Gaza, prices of basic goods have skyrocketed. A kilo of potatoes or onions now costs over $10. One sack of flour (50 kg) sells for $400—more than a full month’s salary for most families.
People now survive on rotten flour, mixing it with rice to feed their children. The World Central Kitchen has also halted operations due to lack of food and fuel.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that no aid has been diverted from its intended recipients. The problem, WHO said, is not inside Gaza—it’s at the border.
More than 10,000 patients, including 4,000 children, need emergency evacuation. Since the resumption of Israel’s genocide in Gaza on March 18, only 122 have been allowed to leave.
Dr. Margaret Harris of WHO said hospitals are out of supplies. Medical equipment and baby incubators are stuck at the border. Vaccines, oxygen tanks, and textbooks have all been blocked.
UNRWA confirmed that more than 10,000 staff are still delivering aid and running shelters for displaced families. One of its schools, used as a shelter, was bombed this week, killing 30 people, including children.
Touma said Israel’s claim that Hamas steals aid is untrue. But international media are barred from Gaza, making it hard to counter disinformation.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Gaza is under complete siege for the third straight month. More than 70% of people are either in military zones or under evacuation orders—or both.
Most families live on scraps, trade what little they have, or eat one meal a day—if any. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa declared Gaza a famine zone.
Israel’s genocide, backed by the United States, has killed and wounded over 172,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, most of them are women and children. More than 11,000 are still missing.
