Gaza / PNN – By PNN staff

Gaza is on the brink of becoming a mass grave not only for Palestinians but also for those attempting to assist them, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned on Wednesday, citing Israel’s ongoing restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the besieged territory.

Claire Nicolet, MSF’s Head of Emergency Programmes, told the Palestine News Network (PNN) that while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has begun advisory proceedings regarding Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, the process is far too slow.

“People in Gaza do not have the luxury of waiting for a legal outcome,” Nicolet said. “Relying on legal mechanisms to end Israel’s deliberate strangulation of aid, food, and medical supplies into Gaza will only condemn more Palestinians to death—deaths that could have been prevented—while the world watches in silence, failing to act against this indiscriminate and appalling brutality.”

She described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as catastrophic on all fronts. Since 2 March, Israel’s complete blockade on the entry of humanitarian aid and supplies has had deadly consequences for civilians and has crippled the ability of medical and aid workers to respond meaningfully.

According to Nicolet, Israel is not only using aid as a bargaining chip but as a weapon of war and a means of collective punishment against over two million people living in the enclave.

“MSF teams on the ground are witnessing critical shortages of medical supplies and food,” she said. “Governments must increase pressure on Israeli authorities to lift the blockade and allow large-scale humanitarian access to this devastated area, to prevent further suffering and loss of life.”