Israel must urgently address the “catastrophic conditions” in Gaza, the US envoy to the United Nations said Wednesday, as she warned that “actions by the Israeli government to limit the delivery of aid” would intensify suffering.
Though predicted months ago, the dire conditions in the enclave had yet to be addressed, US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the UN Security Council.
“Conditions are catastrophic and will further deteriorate if additional steps are not taken,” Thomas-Greenfield said, according to remarks released by her office.
More than 41,000 people have been killed in Israel’s year-long bombardment of Gaza, which has decimated the health care system and spawned a humanitarian crisis for 1.9 million displaced Palestinians.
Thomas-Greenfield also said the US is “deeply concerned” by draft Israeli legislation that would declare the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the main UN agency in Gaza, a “terrorist” organization and bar it from operating in Israel.
