A dangerous United States-Israeli “food distribution” proposal for Gaza has been condemned by the United Nations. Not a peep about the mass starvation of Gazans by Israel has come from the newly inaugurated second-term Anthony Albanese government.
Tom Fletcher, head of the UN’s humanitarian agency, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told the UN Security Council on May 13 that Israel is denying access to deliver the aid to the besieged Gaza and is “placing the objective of depopulating Gaza before the lives of civilians”.
OCHA said Hamas was not responsible for Gazans starving and being denied medical aid.
“Israeli officials have sought to shut down the existing aid distribution system run by the United Nations and its humanitarian partners and have us agree to deliver supplies through Israeli hubs under conditions set by the Israeli military, once the government agrees to re-open crossings,” OCHA said on May 4.
Further, it said the plan “will mean large parts of Gaza, including the less mobile and most vulnerable people, will continue to go without supplies”. It said it “contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic — as part of a military strategy.”
It said Israel’s dangerous plan is to drive civilians into militarized zones “to collect rations, threatening lives, including those of humanitarian workers, while further entrenching forced displacement”.
Fletcher said aid organisations are “desperate to resume humanitarian aid at scale across Gaza” after no “food, medicine, water or tents” have been allowed in “for more than 10 weeks”.
He condemned Israel’s proposal to only allow aid in via its process, which bypasses all aid organisations including the UN. The Israeli-designed proposal “makes aid conditional on political and military aims” and uses “starvation” as “a bargaining chip” while also forcing “further displacement”.
Fletcher called on the Security Council to “act now” to “prevent genocide” in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the newly elected second term Anthony Albanese committed to “stand with Ukraine”, while calling for a ceasefire which includes a “just and enduring peace in Ukraine”, but has said nothing about Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.
Ed Husic, the former industry minister, whose timid criticism of Labor’s approach to Israel’s war was central to him not being included in the new ministry, said on May 12 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be held accountable for its blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza, as it is causing “mass starvation”.
“Where we are experiencing mass starvation there, and where that could be addressed by the freer flow of humanitarian aid, why is that not happening?” Husic said. “That is a conscious decision. It’s not an accident and the use of starvation is recognised as a war crime under international humanitarian law, and so the Israeli government needs to be held accountable for that.”
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About 600 pro-Palestine protesters gathered on Mother’s Day in Naarm/Melbourne on May 12 to mark Israel’s the 83rd week of genocide in Gaza. Brandon M reports that a letter addressed to the mothers of Gaza was read out in front of Flinders Street station before the protest marched to join Camp Sovereignty.
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Members of the Palestinian community in Boorloo/Perth held a press conference outside the US consulate about the horror stories they are hearing from their families trapped in Gaza.
Friends of Palestine WA secretary Ayman Qwaider spoke about his father and siblings in Gaza going hungry, being weak and unable to find food.
“This is a crime and the world must call it as such. There is no plausible excuse for inaction … the Australian government must take a moral, human and brave stance, not tomorrow, but now,” Qwaider said.
“My family is struggling to survive … their voices are getting thinner and thinner and their bodies are getting weakened because of the daily ordeal of not being able to find food and water.”
Ahmed Abumarzouq said: “My young nephew hasn't had bread in days, my niece is drinking dirty water now. The rest of the family are boiling weeds and whatever they can find.”
Greens Senator Sophie McNeil said Albanese must “take actions to punish Israel for this horrific act of collective punishment.” “What will it take for Labor to act?”
Qwaider said Israel must allow “humanitarian aid, water, food and milk in … 300,000 Palestinian children are on the edge of dying”.
“This is being broadcast to our phones, we cannot say that we didn’t know.”
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More than 100 people attended the “Feed Gaza, stop the famine, stop the genocide” action in Martin Place in Gadigal Country/Sydney, on May 7, before marching to New South Wales parliament. People chanted “Break the siege; Let Gaza live!”
Independent Citizens Against Apartheid condemned Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon against the people of Gaza. Outside parliament, one protester was arrested for attempting to chain herself to a gate.
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Palestine solidarity, climate trans rights, First Nations and antipoverty activists rallied outside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electorate office in Marrickville, Sydney to say “No More Excuses”.
With Labor having a majority after the election and only needing the Green’s support in the Senate — they have no more excuses not to act on social and environmental crisis and must stop supporting Israel's genocide.
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A protest was held out the front of Caltex West Terrace in Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide on May 10 to oppose its parent company Chevron’s complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Chevron operates in and partially owns the largest Israeli-claimed natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea.
At least 70% of Israel’s energy comes from Chevron and is used to power military bases, police stations, prisons and illegal settlements.
A Boycott Caltex national day of action will be held on May 24 at petrol stations in Bannockburn, Preston, Kaurna Yerta, Garramilla/Darwin, Wetherill Park, Southport, Ballarat and Boorloo/Perth.
Find out more by visiting @boycottcaltex on Instagram.
[Protests to mark 77 years of Nakba are being held across the country from May 15–18. Click here for more information.]