More than 100 aid and rights groups have warned of mass starvation in Gaza – revealing supplies have become “totally depleted”.
Large amounts of food, clean water and medical supplies are sitting untouched just outside Gaza, but the groups blamed Israel for its “restrictions” which they say is creating “chaos, starvation, and death”.
The situation has become so bad, aid agencies warned they were seeing even their own colleagues “waste away before their eyes”.
Israel, which controls all supplies entering Gaza, has denied it is responsible for shortages of food and other supplies.
In a statement signed by 111 organisations, the groups said: “As the Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families.
“With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes.
“The government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death.”
The groups called for governments to demand the lifting of all restrictions and for the restoration of a “principled, UN-led humanitarian response”.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, which backed the statement and is one of the largest independent aid organisations in Gaza, said it has no more supplies to distribute and some of its staff are starving – and accused Israel of paralysing its work.
“Our last tent, our last food parcel, our last relief items have been distributed. There is nothing left,” Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the council, told the Reuters news agency.
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “starvation is knocking on every door” in the Palestinian territory, describing the situation as a “horror show”.
Palestinian officials said at least 101 people are known to have died of malnutrition during the conflict in Gaza, including 80 children, most of them in recent weeks.
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Some food stocks in Gaza have run out since Israel cut off all supplies in March and then lifted the blockade in May with new measures it said were needed to prevent aid from being diverted to militant groups.
Israel has blamed the UN for failing to protect aid it says is stolen by Hamas and other groups. The fighters deny stealing it.
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The UK and several other countries have condemned the current aid delivery model, which is backed by the Israeli and American governments.
It has reportedly resulted in Israeli troops firing on Palestinian civilians in search of food on multiple occasions.
More than 800 people have reportedly been killed in recent weeks trying to reach food, mostly in shootings by Israeli soldiers posted near distribution centres.
