Daily Gaza - UN Agency Suspends Operations Following Israeli Attacks

And the situation simply grows worse.  UNRWA - the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees - announced Thursday that it was suspending operations in Gaza following increasing attacks against humanitarian personnel. According to a UNRWA spokesman:

"UNRWA decided to suspend all its operations in the Gaza Strip because of the increasing hostile actions against its premises and personnel."

The announcement follows three separate security incidents today, including the death of a civilian UNRWA contractor, who was killed by an Israeli tank shell while transfering humanitarian supplies through the Erez border crossing.

The January 8th Humanitarian Situation Report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) provides further details:

"A clearly marked UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) convoy was hit at 1400 hrs (1200 hrs GMT) on 8 January by three rounds of small arms, which hit one of the armoured vehicles. This occurred during the unilateral suspension of military activities by Israel. An ICRC-escorted convoy of 14 ambulances driving towards Rafah was hit by small arms fire, resulting in the injury of one person. Furthermore, during the morning of 8 January, a convoy came under fire at the Erez Crossing Point. One UNRWA contractor was shot and two were injured."

According to a UN spokesman, the convoy at the Erez crossing was "clearly displaying UN flags and livery".  The New York Times reports that the convoy movements had been coordinated with the Israeli military in advance.

(Some news reports claim that not one but two contractors were killed at the Erez crossing.)

UNRWA distributes food and other aid to 750,000 people in Gaza.

Food shortages are a major concern.  Supplies came through the crossings yesterday, but insecurity makes it difficult for aid agencies - and beneficiaries - to reach distribution points.

Even worse, the attack at the Erez crossing threatens to halt food deliveries indefinitely.  UNRWA said it would resume work only when "the Israeli army can guarantee the safety and security of our staff".  Furthermore, according to UN OCHA:

"There is only one transportation company authorized to handle the movement of goods at the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings. Following the Erez incident, and due to the prevailing insecurity, the company has now declared that it will suspend all movement until a cease-fire is reached or firm security guarantees are provided. In effect, aid convoys into Gaza are suspended even if crossings are opened."

To date, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reports 758 Palestinian fatalities, including 257 children and 56 women.  In addition, 3,100 Palestinians have been injured, including 1,080 children and 452 women.

Finally, to round out today's depressing news - the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that the Israeli military "failed to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law to care for and evacuate the wounded" after denying medical personnel access to the Zaytun neighborhood of Gaza city since January 3rd.

The Israeli military finally allowed ambulances into the area on January 7th.  According to the ICRC:

"The ICRC/PRCS team found four small children next to their dead mothers in one of the houses. They were too weak to stand up on their own. One man was also found alive, too weak to stand up. In all there were at least 12 corpses lying on mattresses.

In another house, the ICRC/PRCS rescue team found 15 other survivors of this attack including several wounded. In yet another house, they found an additional three corpses. Israeli soldiers posted at a military position some 80 meters away from this house ordered the rescue team to leave the area which they refused to do."

I don't even have words.

(And for those who think that Hamas is completely blameless, please read this article in the New York Times, about Hamas using civilians for cover.)

[Palestinians receiving flour at a food distribution center - Photo from the New York Times / AP]