Turkish Red Crescent head says Israel's land attack on Rafah will affect aid

ISTANBUL

Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meric Yilmaz said Tuesday that a ground attack by Israeli forces on the Rafah border crossing will bring very grave consequences.

Yilmaz expressed concern in a written statement about the fruitlessness of cease-fire talks between parties to the conflict to end the humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip.

She appealed to the international community to make every effort to ensure urgent and lasting cease-fire conditions in the region and deliver more humanitarian aid.

The conflict in Gaza, which has been ongoing for about seven months, has put approximately 1.1 million people, equivalent to half of its population, in a disastrous situation of hunger, alongside casualties and severe injuries, she said.

Emphasizing that malnutrition, especially among children, has reached record levels in Gaza, with one in every three children under the age of 2 being severely malnourished, she said in the northern areas where approximately 300,000 people live, the risk of famine is increasing daily

Approximately 50,000 tons of aid materials have been sent

Yilmaz noted that Türkiye has sent approximately 50,000 tons of aid materials to the region by air and sea as part of the Palestine Humanitarian Aid Operation.

She said that the "Ships of Goodness" sent to Gaza in collaboration with the Turkish Red Crescent and Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) have contributed to meeting most basic needs in the region.

Before the conflict, approximately 500 trucks of essential goods entered Gaza daily, but during the conflict, an average of only 100 trucks were allowed entry, she noted.

"The recent developments on May 6, 2024, in which Israeli authorities took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, including for humanitarian aid, are particularly alarming," she said.

"This closure will undoubtedly lead to increased hunger and scarcity. At Turkish Red Crescent, we are deeply saddened and concerned by these developments. We reiterate our call for a permanent ceasefire and insist that safe corridors for humanitarian aid must not be closed under any circumstances," she said.

Yilmaz stated that the Turkish Red Crescent has begun discussions with all stakeholders in the region, including the Egyptian and Palestinian Red crescents, to explore options for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza through alternative routes.

"It is crucial that the northern border crossings in Gaza are opened to more humanitarian aid as soon as possible. We reiterate our call for a permanent ceasefire and continuous humanitarian efforts," she said.

The Israeli army said early Tuesday that the 401st armored brigade seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza.

Army footage showed Israeli tanks rolling through the area and the Israeli flag raised on the Gaza side.

Israel has waged a military offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas which killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 34,700 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 78,000 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli onslaught, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.