Devastation in Gaza as Israel wages war on Hamas

Iranian missiles displayed in western Tehran during a rally to mark the 45th anniversary of the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, Feb. 11. Photo: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Devastation in Gaza as Israel wages war on Hamas

CNN-April12th2024

By Chris Lau and Sana Noor Haq, CNN

The Israeli military does not understand how humanitarian operations work, a top United Nations official said Friday, maintaining there is a “degree of mistrust” that needs to be resolved between the Israel Defense Forces and nongovernmental organizations on the ground in Gaza.

Fears over the safety of humanitarian workers in Gaza have risen in the wake of a deadly Israeli strike on April 1 that killed seven workers from nonprofit World Central Kitchen.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Jamie McGoldrick told reporters Friday that humanitarian workers “fear for their own safety” after the WCK killings and other incidents, such as an attack on a UNICEF convoy Wednesday.

“One of the things that we should understand is that the IDF have never worked with humanitarian organizers before in this type of environment. They don’t understand how we function, they don’t understand our language, what our purpose is,” McGoldrick said.

“There’s a degree of mistrust and misunderstanding that we have to address,” he added.

CNN has reached out to the IDF regarding McGoldrick’s remarks.

The UN official spoke to journalists after returning from Gaza, where he held a meeting with the head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman. During the meeting, he said they discussed interactions between Israeli soldiers and NGOs, concerns over “weapons discipline,” and clearer markings on NGO-affiliated vehicles.

McGoldrick also highlighted dangers posed by inadequate communication infrastructure inside Gaza.