ALBAWABA - As worries about the well-being of people in Gaza grow around the world, the Israeli military is said to have burned tens of thousands of tons of food and medical supplies as a result of what it called "logistical failures" in transport and storage.
Military sources told Israel's public station Kan that the burned help was the same amount as what would fit in about 1,000 cars. They said that thousands of aid items had been left out in the sun for long periods of time, which led to the choice to get rid of them. The person said, "We will have to keep destroying the packages if they are not sent to Gaza."
The damage happened at a time when there is a severe humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. Reports say that there is a lot of hunger in the area, where more than 2.3 million people are stuck. Some families who have had to leave their homes are eating potato peels to stay alive.
The Israeli army said that the help was thrown away because of problems with how it was being distributed in Gaza. But relief groups say that ongoing Israeli limits, military action, and attacks by settlers on supply lines have made it very hard for important aid to get to those who need it.
Some crossings, like Kerem Abu Salem (also written as Kerem Shalom) and Erez, are still closed. This could be because of military actions in Rafah or because Israeli settlements are still attacking aid convoys coming from other countries, especially Jordan. Because Israel is bombing, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt is also closed.
People around the world are angry about the move, and political leaders and foreign groups are calling on Israel to let emergency aid in without any problems. Cities all over the world have held protests calling for an instant end to the ban on Gaza and the end of the fighting.
The UN's Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, said that condemnations have not worked and that Israel should be punished. Fakhri told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces are blocking aid "in plain sight of the world" and asked Arab countries to keep up the pressure to make sure aid gets to people who need it the most.
The destruction of important humanitarian aid is the latest step in a war that has brought Gaza to the edge of failure and sparked calls for immediate action from the rest of the world.
