PA prime minister demands safe aid corridors for Gaza

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh called on Tuesday for safe corridors for food and medical supplies to be taken into the besieged Gaza Strip. He warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” threatening the residents of the enclave.

Shtayyeh’s office issued his statement after he chaired a meeting of the PA committee on the repercussions of the continued Israeli aggression against Gaza.

The PA official noted the “intensive contacts” being made by PA President Mahmoud Abbas with international parties to facilitate the entry of this aid into the Gaza Strip, and the transfer of hundreds of wounded Palestinians to Egyptian hospitals. Israel bombed the Rafah Border Crossing at the weekend in an attempt to seal the Gaza Strip off completely from the outside world.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the occupation government has warned Egypt against bringing in relief supplies to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and threatened to bomb trucks carrying aid.

“We ask friendly countries to intensify their efforts to stop the ongoing aggression against our people in Gaza,” said Shtayyeh, “which has so far left hundreds of martyrs and thousands injured, and caused the annihilation of entire families on live television.”

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The prime minister’s statement quoted PA Minister of Health Mai Al-Kaila who confirmed that hospitals in the Gaza Strip are suffering from an acute shortage of medical supplies and personnel. She pointed out the necessity of providing hospitals as a matter of urgency with supplies to save hundreds of injured people, most of whom are children, women and the elderly, from near certain death.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Galant announced on Monday the imposition of a comprehensive blockade on the Gaza Strip. “We imposed a complete siege on Gaza City. There is no electricity, no food, no water, and no fuel [being allowed in].”

Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood at dawn on Saturday. This was apparently in response to “the continuing attacks by Israeli forces and settlers against the Palestinian people, their property, and their sanctities, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.”

In retaliation, Israel launched ongoing air strikes causing death and destruction on a massive scale in mainly civilian areas of the besieged territory.

READ: Israel destroys 22,639 housing units, 10 health centres, 48 schools in Gaza