The international community has so far failed to fulfill its basic humanitarian duties and protect civilians in Gaza amid the continued Israeli bombing campaign, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said on Thursday. Humanitarian aid pledged by national governments and various relief organizations is barely reaching Gaza residents, he added.

Israel’s “heavy bombardments” are “getting worse,” even in parts of the enclave that were supposed to be safe, and aid “is barely trickling in,” Griffiths wrote in a statement published on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“The rules of war are clear: civilians must be protected and have the essentials to survive, wherever they are and whether they choose to move or stay,” the official stated, in an apparent reference to Israel’s call on Gaza residents to move south amid the continued air raids.
Griffiths, who is also the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, has previously criticized Israel’s order to evacuate, saying it “defies the rules of war and basic humanity.” Forcing “scared and traumatized civilians” out of their homes amid intense bombardments “without even a pause in the fighting and without humanitarian support, is dangerous and outrageous,” he said on October 13.