(LiCAS News): The Church in the Holy Land warned that restrictions on humanitarian access continue to deepen the crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, even as limited movement resumed at a key border crossing.
In a report to Aid to the Church in Need, George Akroush, director of the Development Office of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said that Israeli authorities have blocked emergency shipments into Gaza, leaving communities without essential medical and humanitarian supplies.
“Since Saturday, March 7, not a single humanitarian shipment was delivered to Gaza, including medication, spare parts for hospitals, not even antibiotics,” Akroush said.
He said that efforts to assist those in need have been severely constrained, including support for the enclave’s only Christian hospital.
“We are trying our best to help the only Christian hospital there, which is very close to the Catholic compound, but all the channels that the Latin Patriarchate used to communicate with the authorities were closed,” he said. “They say that everybody is involved in the war.”
The restrictions follow Israel’s decision to close crossings into Gaza from March 1, citing security concerns as violence escalated in the region.
On Thursday, March 19, limited movement resumed at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, according to Agence France-Presse. Palestinian patients were allowed to leave for treatment, while some stranded residents were permitted to return under strict controls and screening procedures.
