UN SLAMS ISRAEL'S GAZA 'DEATH TRAPS'

THE United Nations has called out Israel for using humanitarian food trucks as "death traps" to shoot and kill starving Palestinians in an act it labelled a war crime.

According to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the United States and Israel backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) that supposedly supply food to starving Palestinians in the Gaza strip is an “abomination”.  

The GHF began handing out food in Gaza on 26 May after Israel completely cut off supplies into the occupied territory for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.

The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF - an officially private effort with opaque funding - over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

And of that being the case, UNRWA chief Lazzarini told a press conference in Berlin: “It is a death trap costing more lives than it saves.” 

Weighing in on Lazzarini's claims, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan, said: “Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution.

“The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime.”

Of how 410 Palestinians have died and at least 93 others have been injured during these alleged targeted attacks by Israel, Kheetan added: “Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food.

“The Israeli military has shelled and shot Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points, leading to many fatalities.”

However, Kheetan said the figures of the total deaths and injured are still being verified by the UN adding that more people may have been killed from other sources of fire - something his office cannot confirm.

He added: “At least 3 000 Palestinians have been injured in these incidents. Each of these killings must be promptly and impartially investigated, and those responsible must be held to account.”