UN sees Israeli intent to kill

Geneva. The UN humanitarian affairs chief estimated yesterday, June 4, that the deaths of dozens of people in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, while trying to access a food distribution center, are the "result of deliberate decisions" by Israel.

The US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) temporarily closed its aid centers in the Palestinian territory on Wednesday after dozens of people died during food distributions, although it announced it will reopen them today, Thursday.

The Israeli military warned that the roads leading to the distribution centers were "combat zones."

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's announcement followed a series of deadly incidents near the distribution sites it operates.

On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, and the military said the incident was being investigated.

"Yesterday alone (Tuesday), dozens of deaths were confirmed in hospitals after Israeli forces announced they had opened fire. This is the result of a series of deliberate decisions that have systematically deprived two million people of essential goods for their survival," UN official Tom Fletcher wrote in a statement.

"The world is watching, day after day, horrific scenes of Palestinians being shot, injured, or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat," Fletcher said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has described the amount of aid allowed into Gaza as a trickle, after Israel partially lifted a total blockade of more than two months.

"We must be able to do our job: we have the equipment, the plan, the supplies, and the expertise," Fletcher emphasized.

"Open the crossings, all of them. Let in life-saving aid on a massive scale, in all directions. Lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in," urged Fletcher, who is also coordinating emergency aid.

EU veto in the Security Council

The United States, determined to protect its Israeli ally, sparked outrage among other Security Council members after its new veto blocked a call for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza.

The bill received 14 votes in favor, with only the United States—one of the five permanent members with veto power—against, the first vote under Donald Trump's administration.

This veto "sends the extremely dangerous message that the lives of 2 million Palestinians (...) do not count," said Pakistani ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who considered it to give a "green light for the annihilation" of the population of Gaza and constitute a "moral stain on the conscience" of the Council.

"Silence cannot defend the dead, it cannot hold the hands of the dying, it cannot confront the workings of injustice," added his Algerian counterpart, Amar Bendjama.

While France and the United Kingdom expressed their "regret" over the vote result, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong directly criticized the United States, calling on it to "abandon political calculations and adopt a fair and responsible attitude."