Justicia Shipena
Namibia has called on the international community not to stand by as a “humanitarian catastrophe of potentially monumental proportions” unfolds in Gaza City.
This follows the Israeli Security Cabinet’s approval of a plan to take control of Gaza City.
Namibia says the move will worsen an already severe humanitarian crisis marked by hunger, deprivation, and the risk of forced starvation.
The executive director in the ministry of international relations, Penda Naanda, said Namibia welcomes the condemnation of the plan by members of the international community.
He said Namibia is guided by its constitution, advocating for peaceful dispute resolution and the protection of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
“Drawing on our own history of overcoming illegal occupation and apartheid, Namibia fully understands the cost of oppression and the hopes and dreams of freedom. Our nation’s experience fuels our empathy and solidarity with those enduring the denial of self-determination,” he said.
Naanda urged all United Nations (UN) member states to uphold their obligations and support initiatives that address the crisis in the best interests of both Palestinians and Israelis.
He also called on the international community to work towards restoring hope, security, and justice for those striving to live in peace and dignity.
UN secretary general António Guterres said on Friday he is gravely alarmed by Israel’s decision to take control of Gaza City.
He said the decision marks a dangerous escalation and risks deepening the catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians while further endangering more lives, including those of the remaining hostages.
“Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure a humanitarian catastrophe of horrific proportions,” Guterres said.
He warned the escalation will result in more forced displacement, killings, and destruction, adding to the suffering of the Palestinian population.
He renewed his call for a permanent ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access across Gaza, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Guterres urged Israel to abide by international law and recalled the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, which declared Israel must cease new settlement activities, evacuate settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and end its unlawful presence there.
“There will be no sustainable solution to this conflict without an end to this unlawful occupation and the achievement of a viable two-state solution. Gaza is and must remain an integral part of a Palestinian state,” he said.
On the same day, UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Türk said that a complete military takeover of Gaza must be halted.
He said the development runs contrary to international law and referred to the International Court of Justice ruling that Israel must end its occupation and achieve a two-state solution, giving Palestinians the right to self-determination.
He warned that further escalation “will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended the plan despite widespread international criticism.
He said it was “the best way to end the war and the best way to end it speedily.”
Starvation levels soar
During an emergency UN Security Council session in New York over the weekend, several members warned the move would worsen the humanitarian situation rather than end the war in Gaza.
On Tuesday, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the World Food Programme (WFP) reported that starvation and malnutrition are at their highest levels in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023.
The ministry of health in Gaza reported five deaths in the past 24 hours due to malnutrition and starvation, bringing the total to 227, including 103 children, since October 2023.
Dujarric said humanitarian supplies entering Gaza remain far below what is needed.
“We and our humanitarian partners continue to do everything possible to bring assistance into Gaza. However, humanitarian movements still face significant delays and other impediments that prevent us from delivering aid at the scale that is needed,” he said.
He said the UN requested coordination with Israeli authorities for 16 missions on Monday, including collecting food, medical supplies, and fuel from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings, as well as moving goods and personnel within Gaza.
Four missions were facilitated, three denied, and four impeded but completed. Two were cancelled by the respective organisations, two were impeded and not completed, and one is still ongoing.
“Efforts to coordinate humanitarian movements often drag on for hours due to unpredictable clearances by the Israeli authorities, wasting precious time,” Dujarric said, adding that WFP staff spent hours in vehicles waiting for clearance.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported another Palestinian Bedouin community was displaced due to violence by Israeli forces and settlers.
Dujarric said Israeli forces raided the community of Ein Ayoub in the Ramallah governorate and ordered the immediate eviction of about 100 residents, many of whom have no alternative shelter.
