UNITED NATIONS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Reports that Israel is expanding military operations in Gaza have alarmed the UN chief, a UN spokesman said on Monday, and UN aid entities have condemned a reported scheme to privatize aid distribution.
Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at a daily briefing: "I can tell you that the secretary-general is alarmed by these reports of Israeli plans to expand ground operations and prolong its military presence in Gaza. This will inevitably lead to countless more civilians killed and the further destruction of Gaza."
Haq said it is imperative to end violence, civilian deaths and destruction.
"Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian state," the spokesman said. "The secretary-general continues to call for an immediate permanent ceasefire. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally."
The reaction came after it was reported the Israeli Security Cabinet voted to expand the military offensive in Gaza to seize and occupy Palestinian territory.
There were also reports Israel would continue to block humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza, which it has forbidden since March 2, and to privatize the operation using U.S. contractors instead of under the supervision of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations.
Haq said that Guterres and the UN entities involved in aid distribution "made clear that we will not participate in any scheme that does not adhere to the global humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the heads of all UN entities and non-governmental organizations under the Humanitarian Country Team have unanimously affirmed this position."
The spokesman said the UN country team reported the Israeli authorities blocked all supplies from entering Gaza, no matter how vital to people's survival. Bakeries have shut. Community kitchens have closed. Warehouses stand empty. Children have gone hungry.
He said the team reported the design of the plan presented to them by Israel will mean large parts of Gaza, including the less mobile and most vulnerable people, will continue to go without supplies. It contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic, as part of a military strategy.
"We are ready to again scale up the delivery of critical supplies and services, and we have significant stocks ready to enter as soon as the blockade is lifted," the team said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said air strikes and other attacks continue across the Gaza Strip, with reports that scores of people were killed and hundreds injured over the weekend, including children and other civilians.
OCHA said robbery and looting have become a daily reality, especially in and around Gaza City, in parallel with the depletion of supplies and the targeting of businesses.
"There have also been attempts involving UN warehouses, and in most of those cases, our guards have managed to stop them, or the looters have found the warehouses already empty, after more than two months of total blockade," OCHA said.
The humanitarian office released some of the problems further frustrating Palestinians.
It said the water pumping and sanitation systems in Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza governorate, which went down due to a lack of fuel last week, are still down. On Friday, a major water line from Israel was damaged, cutting the water supply to northern Gaza -- including Gaza City -- by half. Teams could fix it only on Sunday, coordinating with the Israeli authorities.
OCHA said that also on Sunday, a UN team managed to retrieve some fuel from a station in Gaza City after the Israeli authorities facilitated efforts to reach it. However, much of the fuel reserves remain out of reach because the supply is located in areas where Israeli authorities systematically deny humanitarians access. In Rafah, no attempt to retrieve fuel has been facilitated since April 18.
The office also pointed out that fuel is essential to power water wells, treat sewage and keep intensive care units and ambulances running.
"Humanitarian teams need Israeli coordination to move through vast areas of Gaza," OCHA said. "Since Saturday, most of those attempts -- 19 out of 27 planned movements -- were denied outright. Other attempts initially received the green light but were then impeded on the ground." ■
