NEW YORK, May 1, 2025 – The UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator strongly warned today about the continuing Israeli blockade of aid into Gaza, calling on Israel to lift restrictions that have left civilians without food, medical care, and hope.
In a press statement on Thursday, Tom Fletcher condemned Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian assistance as a “cruel collective punishment” of the Palestinian population.
The UN relief chief stressed that “international law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in… Aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip,” he added. “Blocking aid kills.”
Fletcher warned that the aid blockade “starves civilians”, denies them basic medical services, and “strips them of dignity and hope.”
He underscored the neutrality and impartiality of humanitarian efforts, adding: “We believe that all civilians are equally worthy of protection. We remain ready to save as many lives as we can, despite the risks.”
However, the latest delivery mechanism proposed by Israel, he said, “does not meet the minimum bar for principled humanitarian support.”
“To the Israeli authorities, and those who can still reason with them, we say again: lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives,” he pleaded.
Addressing civilians in Gaza, Fletcher said: “No apology can suffice… But I am truly sorry that we are unable to move the international community to prevent this injustice. We won’t give up.”
WAFA
