The United States has delivered a striking rebuke to Israel over its treatment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as the embattled enclave reels from a weeks-long Israeli offensive that has pushed an already dire humanitarian crisis to catastrophic levels. Speaking at a UN Security Council session on Wednesday, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield minced no words in condemning what she described as Israeli efforts to “starve” Palestinian civilians in the Strip’s north.
“The United States rejects any Israeli efforts to starve Palestinians in Jabaliya or anywhere else,” Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield declared, referring to the densely populated refugee camp that has borne the brunt of Israel’s latest military operation. “We call on the Netanyahu government to address the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza as an urgent priority.”
Nine Days of Horror
The ambassador’s forceful remarks come as Israel’s offensive, now in its ninth day, has unleashed fresh horrors upon Gaza’s beleaguered population. According to sources on the ground, the Israeli military has subjected northern Gaza, and Jabaliya in particular, to a suffocating siege marked by relentless bombardment and severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods.
The result has been a dramatic deterioration of already bleak living conditions for the nearly 120,000 Palestinians crammed into the camp’s 1.4 square kilometers. Food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies are rapidly dwindling, while damage to vital infrastructure has disrupted access to electricity and clean water.
“People are trapped in their homes, terrified to go outside for even the most basic necessities,” said one aid worker, describing scenes of anguish and desperation. “The sick and wounded are struggling without proper care. Children are wasting away before their parents’ eyes. It’s a nightmare with no end in sight.”
An aid worker on the ground in Gaza
A Blockade Within a Blockade
For many in Gaza, the agony of the current onslaught is compounded by a grim sense of déjà vu. Israel has maintained a crippling blockade on the coastal enclave since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the territory from the rival Palestinian Authority. The years since have been punctuated by periodic escalations and full-scale wars that have killed thousands of Palestinians and wrought widespread destruction.
Yet even against this backdrop of permanent crisis, the ongoing offensive stands out for its ferocity and the extremity of the privations it has inflicted. In the words of one long-time observer, Israel has effectively imposed “a blockade within a blockade” on northern Gaza, severing it from the rest of the impoverished enclave.
Calls for Urgent Action
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s stark comments reflect growing international alarm over the situation in Gaza and hint at a potential shift in Washington’s posture. To date, the US has maintained its long-standing policy of diplomatic and military support for Israel despite fierce criticism from human rights groups, who accuse Israel of employing disproportionate force and imposing collective punishment on Gaza’s civilian population.
Whether the ambassador’s words presage substantive changes in US policy remains to be seen. What is clear is that, absent urgent action to end the siege and alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian plight, the suffering of Palestinians in Jabaliya and beyond is set to deepen with each passing day. For the international community, the stakes could not be higher—or the imperative to act more urgent.
The result has been a dramatic deterioration of already bleak living conditions for the nearly 120,000 Palestinians crammed into the camp’s 1.4 square kilometers. Food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies are rapidly dwindling, while damage to vital infrastructure has disrupted access to electricity and clean water.
“People are trapped in their homes, terrified to go outside for even the most basic necessities,” said one aid worker, describing scenes of anguish and desperation. “The sick and wounded are struggling without proper care. Children are wasting away before their parents’ eyes. It’s a nightmare with no end in sight.”
An aid worker on the ground in Gaza
A Blockade Within a Blockade
For many in Gaza, the agony of the current onslaught is compounded by a grim sense of déjà vu. Israel has maintained a crippling blockade on the coastal enclave since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the territory from the rival Palestinian Authority. The years since have been punctuated by periodic escalations and full-scale wars that have killed thousands of Palestinians and wrought widespread destruction.
Yet even against this backdrop of permanent crisis, the ongoing offensive stands out for its ferocity and the extremity of the privations it has inflicted. In the words of one long-time observer, Israel has effectively imposed “a blockade within a blockade” on northern Gaza, severing it from the rest of the impoverished enclave.
Calls for Urgent Action
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s stark comments reflect growing international alarm over the situation in Gaza and hint at a potential shift in Washington’s posture. To date, the US has maintained its long-standing policy of diplomatic and military support for Israel despite fierce criticism from human rights groups, who accuse Israel of employing disproportionate force and imposing collective punishment on Gaza’s civilian population.
Whether the ambassador’s words presage substantive changes in US policy remains to be seen. What is clear is that, absent urgent action to end the siege and alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian plight, the suffering of Palestinians in Jabaliya and beyond is set to deepen with each passing day. For the international community, the stakes could not be higher—or the imperative to act more urgent.
