OCHA: Israel imposes death Sentence on Gaza City

Olha Cherevko, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described what Israel is doing in Gaza City as imposing a death sentence on the city, noting that residents are left with no choice but to either leave or die.

Cherevko stated, Gaza City has been sentenced to death, either to leave or to die. Hundreds of thousands of exhausted, weary, and terrified civilians have been ordered to flee to an overcrowded area where even small animals must search for space to move, referring to Israel’s warnings to displace the residents of Gaza City and to occupy it.

This statement came during a press conference held via video call from the Deir al-Balah area in southern Gaza, where she spoke to a group of journalists working at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

The UN official emphasized the urgent need to stop the horrific violence in Gaza… We need urgent decisions to pave the way for lasting peace before it is too late; voices to silence the bombs, and actions to stop the bloodshed.

Cherevko stressed the need to ensure the unobstructed flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza through all crossings and border routes, including the north, stating that the people of Gaza are not asking for charity, but for the right to live in safety, dignity, and peace.

Regarding the UN’s methods of distributing aid in Gaza, Cherevko said that the UN has an effective system that includes over 400 distribution centers throughout Gaza.

She explained that these centers are close to all populations, facilitating access to aid for those in need, in addition to providing assistance to groups that cannot move around.

She noted that aid activities in Gaza are carried out through kitchens and bakeries, as well as distribution centers, ensuring that aid reaches the people wherever they are in the sector.

Regarding the difference between the UN’s aid distribution mechanism and that of the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation led by American and Israeli interests, Cherevko stated, The difference between us is that our main principle is to avoid harming people. Therefore, we try to do everything we can to ensure that people are not exposed to greater risks due to having to go to a military area.

Israeli airstrikes on Saturday leveled three schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza City, displacing thousands of civilians who had been sheltering there from months of bombardment.

Witnesses told the military had issued phone warnings for evacuation but gave families little time to collect belongings before the bombardment began. Residents described scenes of panic as people rushed into the streets under fire, leaving behind food, mattresses and documents.

The raids also struck a multi-story apartment block in the al-Firouz Towers area of western Gaza’s al-Nasr neighborhood and a home on al-Sinaa Street in the south of the city.