UNOCHA Warns of Genocide in Gaza, Netanyahu Doesn't Care

"What other evidence do you need now? Will you take decisive action to prevent genocide and ensure respect for international humanitarian law?" said Tom Fletcher, Head of UNOCHA, while speaking before the United Nations Security Council meeting in New York, Tuesday (13/5/2025).

He added that Israel deliberately and unabashedly implements policies and actions that encourage inhumane actions against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In his report, he stated that the blockade of humanitarian aid imposed by Israel turns food into a political and military tool.

Reported from the tweet of the official UN OCHA account, May 13, 2025, which reported data from The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), as many as 1.94 million residents in the Gaza Strip are facing very acute food insecurity. Referring to the data released last Monday, as many as 470,000 people or equivalent to 22 percent of the population of Gaza are classified as Phase 5, the highest phase of a very severe food emergency.

Fletcher stated that the blockade of food and humanitarian aid is a distraction as well as a cover for committing violence against the Palestinian people. He also mentioned that member countries of the PBB, particularly the Security Council, have been briefed and provided with detailed information regarding the conditions of the Palestinian people in Gaza, including death tolls, destruction, hunger, torture, as well as other atrocities and inhumane treatment of refugees.

Fletcher also stated that the Israeli government and military deliberately obstruct humanitarian operations and systematically destroy the lives of the Palestinian people. According to him, this violence occurs repeatedly and on a massive scale.

Fletcher emphasized that the international community through the PBB has the capability to save hundreds of thousands of Palestinian lives. "We have strict mechanisms in place to ensure that aid reaches civilians and not Hamas. However, Israel denies us access. They prioritize their goal of reducing the population of Gaza over (saving) civilian lives," said Fletcher.

The World Health Organization (WHO), on Tuesday (13/5/2025), cited data from the Gaza Ministry of Health indicating that since early March, 57 children have died due to malnutrition since the blockade of aid by Israel. The WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, stated that if this situation continues, approximately 71,000 children under the age of five could suffer from acute malnutrition over the next 11 months.

“This is one of the worst hunger crises in the world, happening right now,” Peeperkorn said.

In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron described Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza as a shameful act. However, the criticism and condemnation, as well as the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, did not sway Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu even stated that the release of hostages will not stop Israel from attacking. "If Hamas says they will release more hostages, we will capture them and we will enter (attack). However, there will be no way for us to stop the war," said Netanyahu.

The plan has even been executed. The Israeli military, as reported by the Israeli media site, Times of Israel, attacked the area around two hospitals, namely the European Hospital and Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military claimed they attacked the Hamas command center located under the European hospital building.

The attack, according to the Gaza Civil Defense Agency, resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people and injured dozens more. The assault on Nasser Hospital killed two individuals and injured several other civilians.

One of the fatalities at Nasser Hospital was Hassan Aslih, a journalist. Israel claims that Aslih participated in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli military stated that the primary target of the attack on the vicinity of the European Hospital was Muhammad Sinwar, who currently leads Hamas's resistance against Israel. The Israeli military has not confirmed whether the attack resulted in the death of Sinwar, the sibling of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, or not.

Citing a report from TOI, the military released a video that is believed to have been taken during the attack. The video is intended to demonstrate that the IDF's assault revealed the existence of a tunnel beneath the hospital building. However, in the TOI report, the footage shows a school building rather than a medical service center.

"Everyone in the hospital -- patients and the injured -- ran in fear, some using crutches, while others shouted for their children. Others were forced to be dragged on stretchers to save themselves," said Amro Tabash, a local photojournalist.

Netanyahu stated that the Israeli military will carry out attacks with full force to complete the operation. "Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying Hamas," said Netanyahu.

(AP/AFP/Reuters)