Following the failed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a controversial distribution of humanitarian aid has erupted, sparking violence over the search for food and resulting in several injuries and five deaths. Caritas-Jerusalem complains about the delays in providing care to the Palestinian population.

 Its Director, Anton Asfar, analyzed the situation on June 1st for the radio program «La Mañana de Fin de Semana» [“Weekend Morning”] from Madrid: "The dignified way is to reach the people, deliver aid without the barriers of scrutiny, nor risk having them go to these remote centers set up by the new US company in Gaza with the support of an armed security company."

 Asfar noted that there is no humanitarian aid from Israel: "It consists of small supplies in insignificant quantities for those who need to move and don’t have the means to do so. They have to walk long distances to get a box, which is not enough."

The President of the Catholic Church’s charity explained: "Children are dying of malnutrition. At Caritas, we try to provide primary medical care to these families, but medical care doesn’t work without adequate nutrition for children, women, the elderly, and the most vulnerable. Therefore, basic needs are not met. There is no water, no food, no fresh meat, no vegetables, and there are large aid convoys waiting at the borders, to deliver aid from various humanitarian organizations working in Gaza."

Anton Asfar explains the core of the problem: «We don’t just need a ceasefire, we need the opening of the corridors. They are all blocked now, so significant amounts of aid are not reaching Gaza…  We hope this ceasefire becomes a reality and we hope it holds so we can carry out our humanitarian work while ensuring aid to the community, which is in dire need of basic necessities to sustain their lives and maintain their dignity.”Caritas-Jerusalem explains the extent of the difficulty, beyond the known news about the entry of support to the population: "Furthermore, the lack of water causes Gazans to drink contaminated water out of desperation, which causes and spreads various diseases, something that occasions greater harm to the citizens."

The President of Caritas-Jerusalem reports on the Catholic institution’s work in supporting the needy: "We have 10 medical points in Gaza and, in addition, a recently rehabilitated medical center that receives patients. It is located in the Al-Satir refugee camp with a capacity of approximately 100,000 people in that area. We strive to provide them with primary medical care and help them. We also provide them with financial assistance so they can buy the basic necessities they need. There are no adequate supplies in Gaza, nor do they reach them through supplies or private companies that bring produce."