Arabic version: إسرائيل تغلق المعابر، وتضغط على المساعدات الإنسانية إلى غزة

As Israel and the United States attacked Iran, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip began to panic. They remembered how crossings were closed in the past, causing famine, and rushed to markets to buy whatever they could. As a result, prices of food and basic necessities skyrocketed. Soon enough, the news came that the border crossings had been closed.

According to Al Jazeera, this situation coincided with the expiration of a grace period for 37 NGOs operating in Gaza, which were supposed to stop operating due to unmet registration requirements. At the last moment, a ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court allowed them to continue working while it considers their appeal against the ban. However, these organizations cannot continue to function fully because the Israeli occupation continues to prevent their supplies and foreign staff from entering Gaza.

According to these NGOs, together they are responsible for half of the food handouts in the Strip and 60 percent of services provided in field hospitals. For many families in Gaza, this means hunger – because food parcels will not be distributed and livelihoods will be lost.

The World Central Kitchen, which has been running dozens of soup kitchens across the Strip and which is not on the ban list, may be suspending its activities. This was made clear when it was revealed that Israel blocked most of the organization’s supply trucks from coming in. As a result, there are not enough supplies to continue cooking. World Central Kitchen previously said it serves 1 million meals daily.

As a result of the ongoing war with Iran, which may last weeks or months, hundreds of thousands of families will not have adequate food once again. All of this comes on top of Israel’s continuing war on UNRWA, which has seen substantial cuts to its budget, resulting in layoffs and reduced salaries for its employees.

As unemployment in Gaza has gone beyond 80 percent, the possible closure of international organizations is a direct threat to the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians who depend on their services and employment. The closure of the border crossings could mean another hunger crisis. These are forms of collective punishment that yet again will not make the news. Israel is constantly thinking of new ways to make lives that much more unbearable in our devastated homeland.