The United Nations has issued a sharp condemnation of Israel’s continued blockade of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, describing the measure as “cruel collective punishment”. In a statement on Thursday, 1 May, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said Israel’s decision to block all aid into Gaza, now entering its third month, is depriving Palestinians of basic necessities, including food, medical care, and shelter. “They have been bracingly honest that this policy is to pressurise Hamas,” Fletcher said. “But aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip… Blocking aid kills.” He added that the latest aid mechanism proposed by Israel “does not meet the minimum bar for principled humanitarian support,” and urged Israeli authorities to lift the blockade immediately. The call comes as Gaza’s health system is on the brink of collapse, with hospitals overwhelmed, critical supplies cut off, and diseases such as acute watery diarrhea on the rise due to deteriorating hygiene conditions. The World Health Organization reports severe shortages in essential medicines, fuel, and medical equipment, with Israel reportedly denying eight out of nine UN attempts to retrieve fuel from mid-April onwards….
UN: Israel’s Blockade of Gaza is ‘Collective Punishment,’ Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
May 2, 2025
