UN and International Organizations Accuse Israel of 'Genocide' and Call for Closure of 'Humanitarian Foundation Gaza'

UN Special Rapporteur for Gaza, Franciska Albanese, described the humanitarian situation in the region as 'beyond catastrophic,' warning that what is happening represents a 'death trap' designed to kill or displace Palestinians.

This came during her speech to the UN Human Rights Council, where she pointed out that 'Israel is responsible for one of the most brutal genocidal operations in recent history.'

Albanese called on the international community to impose a 'complete ban on arms sales to Israel' and suspend all trade and investment agreements with it, in a move aimed at pressuring to stop human rights violations.

More than 170 international relief organizations, including Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, and Save the Children, joined these demands by signing a joint statement on Tuesday, calling for the closure of the US-backed 'Humanitarian Foundation Gaza,' describing it as 'putting civilians at risk of death and injury.'

The statement read: 'Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: either die of hunger or risk being shot while desperately trying to get food to feed their families.'

Despite the Israeli army acknowledging harm to civilians at aid distribution centers, the United States announced on Monday that it will continue its support for the 'Humanitarian Foundation Gaza,' an American organization registered in Delaware, established last February to distribute aid.

However, local and international reports document that Israeli forces 'almost daily' open fire on crowds heading to distribution points, resulting in the killing of 600 Palestinians and injuring 4,186 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Over two million Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis after 21 months of Israeli war, which destroyed most of the region's infrastructure and claimed the lives of over 57,000 Palestinians.

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza crossings to humanitarian aid, leading food security experts to warn that the population is on the 'brink of famine.'

This comes as human rights organizations continue to pressure the international community to urgently act to save civilians and end what they described as 'genocide.'