Oxfam: Working safely 'next to impossible' in Gaza

A charity has said that its workers have found it "next to impossible" to deliver aid safely in Gaza.

Oxfam said its staff, based in the territory, "are worried about themselves and their families".

On 1 April, seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza.

Israel military's chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, has since vowed to take "immediate action" to ensure that more was done to protect aid workers.

The charity - whose headquarters are in Oxford - said it has 26 members of staff working in Gaza.

Oxfam's public health promotion lead Michelle Farrington said they have reported back that "it's next to impossible for them to be able to do their job safely".

She said: "They have little confidence in making sure that the details that we co-ordinate with Israeli authorities are being respected."

She also said the amount of assistance being allowed was not enough to "meet the huge amounts of need that is there".

"In the north of Gaza, we've undertaken an analysis recently that shows that people are receiving around 12% of their average daily calorie needs," she said.

"That works out to be about 245 calories and that's less than a can of beans per person each day."

Ms Farrington said that despite "all of the complexities and difficulties", their staff were "still coming to work and trying to find ways that they can distribute items, food and support their communities".

Investigation

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an internal investigation into the deaths of the seven aid workers after coming under intense international pressure to explain the circumstances.

Its findings were published on Friday alongside an admission of "serious failure" and the announcement that an IDF colonel and major were being dismissed as a result.

The military's chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, has also vowed to take "immediate action" to ensure that more was done to protect aid workers, including the immediate establishment of a new "humanitarian command centre" to improve co-ordination.

Israel says it has also approved the opening of two humanitarian routes into Gaza, to allow more aid into the territory.

The Erez Gate in northern Gaza will be temporarily re-opened for the first time since the start of the war and Ashdod Port will also be opened for humanitarian deliveries.

Much of the Gaza Strip has been devastated during the Israeli military operations that began after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages.

More than 33,091 people have been killed in Gaza since then, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

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