Diocese of Jerusalem program lead calls for unlimited humanitarian aid into Gaza
[Anglican Journal] A ceasefire and the free passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza are urgently needed to halt a genocide in progress, an official with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem says. The diocese runs the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which is the only hospital still functioning in northern Gaza.
Sawsan Aranki-Batato, programs development officer for the diocese, told the Journal the hospital is struggling to cope with a flood of patients amid Israel’s bombing campaign and its blocking of aid such as food and medicine.
In April, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department’s refugee bureau concluded Israel was deliberately blocking the delivery of food and medicine into Gaza.
Israel declared a “total blockade” of the Gaza Strip on Oct. 9, 2023, blocking food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity from entering Gaza and conditioning the lifting of the blockade on the release of hostages by Hamas. Israel has denied blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza and accused Hamas of stealing aid meant for civilians, though it has provided no evidence for this claim.
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