Red Cross: Gaza is 'on the verge of collapse'. Freedom Flotilla aid ship attacked: Turkey's condemnation

The humanitarian response' in the Gaza Strip is 'on the verge of total collapse'. This is the alarm raised by the International Red Cross two months after Israel decided on 2 March to close the borders of the Gaza Strip to humanitarian aid. "Without an immediate resumption of aid deliveries, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will not have access to the food, medicine and basic necessities needed to support many of its programmes in Gaza," reads a note. "Gaza civilians face a daily struggle to survive the dangers of hostilities, cope with continued displacement and endure the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance," said Pascal Hundt, Cicr's Deputy Director of Operations. "This situation cannot and must not be allowed to degenerate further," Hundt added, explaining that under international humanitarian law, "Israel has an obligation to use all available means to ensure that the basic needs of the civilian population under its control are met."

Also at risk is the field hospital run by the International Red Cross in Gaza, which 'is dangerously running out of food and medical supplies. Some essential medicines and consumables are already exhausted'. Hundt explained that 'the disruption of water systems, including the closure of water pipes and the destruction of important sewage tankers, has created an unacceptably high risk of water-borne diseases'. Hundt went on to explain how the killing of 15 aid and health workers, including eight belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent, and the extensive damage to hospitals in recent weeks, had 'further crippled Gaza's health system'. But "international humanitarian law is clear: medical personnel and facilities must be respected and protected under all circumstances," he said. "Aid must be allowed into Gaza. Hostages must be released. Civilians must be protected," he added. "Without immediate action, Gaza will sink further into chaos that humanitarian efforts will not be able to mitigate," Hundt concluded.

Olga Cherevko, representative of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in a video conference from Gaza City that the population of the Palestinian enclave is now forced to struggle for food and water. "Food supplies are now almost exhausted," he said. "Community canteens have started to close and more and more people are going hungry," he said, citing reports of children and other vulnerable people dying of malnutrition.

The difficulties in delivering aid to the people of Gaza have escalated again, on the day of the Red Cross warning. In fact, the organisers of the Freedom Flotilla, an organisation committed to delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in defiance of the Israeli blockade, claim that one of their ships was attacked during the night by a drone that targeted it twice, causing a fire on board and a breach in the hull. It is the 'Conscience', flying the flag of Palau. On board - spokesman Yasemin Acar explained to CNN - there were 30 activists. The attack - as reported by Freedom Flotilla on X - took place off the coast of Malta, in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, at 00.23 local time.

In a note, the Freedom Flotilla blamed Israel for the incident. "Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and held accountable for violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters," it reads. The organisation also calls on the international community to 'condemn this aggression against an unarmed humanitarian vessel' and asks the Maltese authorities 'to act immediately'. Climate activist Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright were also supposed to be on board the 'Conscience'.