The Israeli government's spokesperson, Eylon Levy, has fired back and expressed criticism towards the United Nations for not condemning the rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza's humanitarian zones. Levy emphasized on social media that the al-Muassi sector had been designated as a humanitarian zone even before the Israeli ground offensive, and he denounced the UN's silence on Hamas' rocket attacks from these areas.
Since before the ground offensive, Israel has designated the Al-Muwasi area as a humanitarian zone and urged Gazan civilians to evacuate there temporarily for their safety. We want civilians to be protected in areas where Hamas is not already using them as human shields.
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) December 26, 2023
It is… https://t.co/aGO79XAkbE
This statement was in response to allegations by Paula Gaviria Betancur of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Betancur accused Israel of aiming to alter Gaza's demographic composition through evacuation orders and attacks against civilians and infrastructure in southern Gaza. She claimed that these actions led to the displacement of 85% of Gaza's residents since October 7, asserting that the Israeli military operation seemed designed to expel the majority of Gaza's civilian population.
Meanwhile, the United Nations named Sigrid Kaag, a former Dutch minister, as its humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, following a Security Council resolution calling for scaled-up aid delivery to Gaza. This resolution, however, did not address the use of US-designated safe zones by militants for rocket launches or the alleged complicity of UN agencies like UNRWA or UNICEF in allowing Hamas to use their facilities for weapon storage.
Is the @UN just trolling us now, in appointing Sigrid Kaag (@Minister_FIN) as the new Gaza humanitarian relief coordinator?
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) December 27, 2023
Kaag's CV:
🔸 Long history of hostility towards Israel.
🔸 As a Dutch minister, sent millions to a Palestinian terrorist NGO complicit in the murder of… pic.twitter.com/SMjFFk8aRr
Kaag's appointment comes amidst a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid is reportedly being appropriated by Hamas. Recent reports indicate that Hamas killed several Palestinian civilians who attempted to intercept aid packages, leading to ongoing skirmishes between local tribes and Hamas fighters.
Long overdue:
— Chaskel Bennett (@ChaskelBennett) December 26, 2023
Israel has put the UN on notice that no longer will it issue visas to UN employees as a matter of fact.@EylonALevy pic.twitter.com/Cv4whFVNw6
The UN's recent resolution emphasizes the need for safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance but stops short of demanding an immediate end to hostilities or directly criticizing Hamas for aid diversion.
The conflict, which escalated on October 7 following an attack by Hamas on southern Israel, has resulted in significant casualties. According to Israeli reports, about 1,300 people, mostly civilians, have been killed, with 250 taken hostage, and 129 still remaining in Gaza. Israel's military response, including aerial bombardment, a siege, and a ground invasion, has led to over 20,000 deaths, as reported by Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry which does not delineate between militants or civilians in their reporting.
#HamasIsis losing control - after killing a #Palestinian for looting aid, his family and tribe struck #Hamas police station in #Rafah.. #FreeGazaFromHamas please share pic.twitter.com/Qc0Bmdzpli
— Roni Reshef (@ReshefRoni) December 24, 2023
Despite her often critical stance against Israel, the United States welcomed Kaag's appointment, expressing eagerness to collaborate on expediting humanitarian relief to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, as stated by State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
