Israeli bombs continue to rain heavily on Gaza, with the latest bombing of the Fahmi al-Jarjawi school resulting in the deaths of at least 30 individuals. Israeli settlers also stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound today to mark the so-called “Jerusalem Day”, reeking havoc and assaulting Palestinians and shops.
On Sunday, the Red Cross mourned the death of two staff members as a result of a strike on their home in Khan Younis, Gaza, on May 24.
The Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, urged that there are 500,000 people inside Gaza that are extremely food insecure and could be on the verge of famine on Sunday on “Face the Nation.”
“We need to get in,” insisted McCain. “[And] we need to get in at scale, not just a few dribble of the trucks right now, as I said, it’s a drop in the bucket.”
McCain’s interventions come at the background of an 11-week block on aid to Gaza by Israeli forces. McCain also dismissed the Israeli claims that Hamas is diverting humanitarian aid, stating to CBS that this “doesn’t have anything to do with Hamas or any kind of organised crime, or anything,” and that it has “simply to do with the fact that these people are starving to death, and so we will continue to go in.”
On its part, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that Gaza needs 500 to 600 aid trucks every day, stating that “a targeted and uninterrupted flow of aid to Gaza is the only way to prevent the current catastrophe from escalating further” according to a Facebook post.
International Condemnations and Political Steps Increase
On a global level, efforts to recognize the state of Palestine, to condemn the Israeli campaign and to cut ties with Israel have ramped up.
In Germany, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Berlin voted in favor of recognizing the State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders, which include East Jerusalem. The party also called for the suspension of arms exports to Israel and a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
This comes after Netherlands’ Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp called for a review of Israel’s compliance with the agreement earlier in May.
Palestine’s Ambassador to Germany, Laith Arafa, described the resolution as “unprecedented” according to the Palestine News and Info Agency WAFA, one which reflects the growing global solidarity with the Palestinian cause and a strategic shift in international positions toward the Israeli occupation in the context of its ongoing crimes.
The SPD also urged support for the investigation led by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and stressed the importance of respecting the court’s decisions. The party called for Germany to take a more active role in ending the illegal Israeli occupation and called for renewed recognition of the 1948 Nakba as a “foundational context” in the conflict.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also told ARD’s Report from Berlin that Germany has a clear position: “no expulsions [of Palestinians] from the Gaza Strip, an end to hunger.” He added that “the Strip as well as the West Bank belong to the Palestinians on the way to a two-state solution.”
In sports, the European Union’s sports chief Glenn Micallef said that “there should be no space in sporting events for those who do not share our values” in response to a question on whether Israel should face sporting sanctions, albeit without naming Israel directly.
