The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels of despair, described as “terrible, inhumane” by the Vicar General of the Custody of the Holy Land
Newsroom, June 16, 2025, Gaudium Press – As the world’s attention shifts to escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels of despair, described as “terrible, inhumane” by Fr. Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar General of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem, in a phone call to AsiaNews on June 15, 2025. The Strip, already reeling from a 20-month war, faces starvation, disease, and a near-total communications blackout, further isolating its 2.1 million residents in what Faltas calls an “open-air prison.”
Since March 2, 2025, Israel’s tightened blockade has blocked nearly all humanitarian aid, leaving Gaza without food, water, electricity, or medical supplies. “People are dying of hunger, thirst, heat, and disease,” Faltas said, noting that even basic medicines, like antibiotics, are now scarce, turning treatable illnesses into death sentences. Over 16,500 children under five have been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition since January, with only four stabilization centers operational, two of which are in Rafah and Deir al-Balah, now overwhelmed by casualties. The UN reports that 7.5% of these cases require hospitalization, a sharp rise from earlier months, signaling a worsening crisis.
A communications blackout, ongoing for two to three days as of June 15, has severed contact with Gaza’s Latin parish of the Holy Family and Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, a key source of information on the ground. “We don’t know the cause of this blackout,” Faltas told AsiaNews, speculating it may be linked to external blockades, though Israel has not commented. The Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority reported the internet was restored on June 15 after a three-day disruption caused by Israeli forces targeting a fiber optic cable, but connectivity remains unstable, hampering aid coordination and rescue efforts.
The open conflict between Israel and Iran, marked by air raids and missile exchanges, threatens to exacerbate Gaza’s plight. Israel’s state of emergency, including school and office closures, suspension of flights at Ben Gurion Airport, and the unprecedented closure of al-Aqsa Mosque on a Friday prayer day, signals a nation bracing for broader war. Rights groups warn that this escalation could divert global focus from Gaza, allowing Israel to intensify attacks with less scrutiny. “The Israeli military will ramp up its attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,” cautioned Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azoum, citing the distraction of the Iran conflict.
Compounding the crisis, a controversial aid distribution by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Rafah has led to deadly chaos. On May 27, 2025, thousands of starving Palestinians rushed a GHF site in Tel al-Sultan, resulting in at least 31 deaths and 176 injuries, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting over 200 killed since distributions began. The Red Cross field hospital in Rafah, overwhelmed with 179 casualties on June 1 and 184 on June 3, described scenes of “total carnage,” with most victims suffering gunshot and shrapnel wounds. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) condemned the GHF’s “dehumanizing, dangerous, and seriously ineffective” system, accusing it of contributing to civilian deaths. The UN and other aid groups have refused to cooperate with GHF, citing violations of humanitarian principles like neutrality and impartiality, and alleging the system serves Israeli military objectives, including depopulating northern Gaza.
The Israeli military denies firing on civilians, claiming troops used warning shots when “suspects” approached restricted zones. GHF, supported by American security contractors and operating under IDF oversight, has also faced accusations of being a tool of surveillance and control, with biometric screening raising fears among Palestinians. The group’s former director, Jake Wood, resigned on May 26, citing its failure to uphold humanitarian standards. Hamas, accused by Israel and GHF of stealing aid, has denied these claims and warned Palestinians against cooperating with the GHF system.
Fr. Faltas expressed skepticism about GHF, stating, “We do not know the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and I do not have much to say” about its operations. He emphasized the Church’s focus on immediate action to address Gaza’s devastation, where hospitals are non-functional, and bodies remain trapped under rubble. “There is destruction everywhere,” he said, noting the loss of hope amid relentless bombardment.
As the Israel-Iran conflict intensifies, Gaza’s residents face a grim future. UNRWA’s Philippe Lazzarini called aid distribution points “death traps,” with over 82 Palestinians killed and 506 injured since May 27 while seeking food. UN Secretary-General António Guterres labeled the situation a “moral stain on us all,” urging investigations into civilian deaths. Faltas, echoing calls for a humane solution, pleaded, “Pray for us, and that the international community find a solution to an inhumane situation.”
Raju Hasmukh with files sourced from
– AsiaNews, “Fr. Ibrahim Faltas: Gaza’s situation is ‘terrible, inhumane’,” June 15, 2025.
– Al Jazeera, “‘Deliberate massacre’ in Gaza as starving Palestinians seek Israeli-US aid,” May 27, 2025.
– BBC, “UN calls for investigation into killings near Gaza aid site,” June 2, 2025.
– UNRWA Situation Report #174, June 6, 2025.
– OCHA, Humanitarian Situation Update #294, June 4, 2025.
– DAWN.COM, “Live Updates: Israel’s Gaza invasion – Day 618,” June 15, 2025.
– BBC, “Red Cross says at least 21 killed and dozens shot in Gaza aid incident,” June 1, 2025.
– Al Jazeera, “Gaza aid sites branded ‘human slaughterhouses’ under deadly Israeli fire,” June 8, 2025.
– BBC, “Gaza: Crowds storm US-backed group’s new aid distribution centre,” May 27, 2025.
– Wikipedia, “Rafah aid distribution killings,” June 14, 2025.
– UN, “Humanitarian Situation in Gaza ‘a Moral Stain on Us All’,” July 16, 2024.
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