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World / Middle East

Palestinians in Gaza see themselves as 'zombies': UN official

Published: 10 Sep 2024 - 07:32 pm | Last Updated: 10 Sep 2024 - 07:36 pm
Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of Israeli strikes on a makeshift displacement camp in Mawasi Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip on September 10, 2024. Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP.

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of Israeli strikes on a makeshift displacement camp in Mawasi Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip on September 10, 2024. Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP.

AFP

Brussels, Belgium: Palestinians in Gaza feel they are "zombies" left to fend for themselves, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian Territories said on Tuesday.

"'We're two million zombies living on our own. All the ties are broken.' This is how the people of Gaza see themselves," Muhannad Hadi said, citing a Palestinian he met during one of his many trips to the Gaza Strip.

Hadi was in Brussels for a series of meetings with European officials as the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, was on a visit to the region, including Egypt and Lebanon.

"So anything that you take for granted, or anything you took for granted, or you worked for yesterday in your life, it's not there for the people of Gaza, for the majority of the people of Gaza," Hadi said during a visit to Brussels.

He added that "a lot of people have nothing to eat", noting that many had no access to electricity or even a bed.

"No one should suffer because of war. No one should suffer because of the wrong politics. No one should suffer because of the failed politics that we are seeing," the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process said.

He accused politicians around the world of "not doing the job they should be doing".

"That's why we don't have a ceasefire, and that's why we don't have a solution to their Gaza crisis," he added.

Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed at least 41,020 people, according to the health ministry in the territory.