Also from the BBC, a United Nations Relief and Works Agency worker acknowledges last week's horrendous attack, describes the dire situation in Gaza and says the way which the siege is being implemented is collective punishment, which as discussed on this thread is a war crime:
Philippe Lazzarini works for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. He says his agency is no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
“There is not one drop of water, not one grain of wheat, not a litre of fuel, that has been allowed into the Gaza Strip for the last eight days,” he says.
The number of people seeking shelter in the organisation’s schools and facilities in the south is overwhelming, 14 members of his organisation have been killed, and Gaza is running out of body bags.
“Every hour we receive more and more desperate calls for help from people across the strip.
“Last week’s attack on Israel was horrendous. The attack and the taking of hostages are a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. But the answer to killing civilians cannot be to kill more civilians.
“The siege in Gaza, the way it is imposed, is nothing else than collective punishment,” he says.
