More than 1,000 Israeli teachers and scholars from many countries have recently signed an open letter, expressing concern about the increasingly serious situation in Gaza.
In the letter, they called on the Israeli government to ease restrictions so that aid can be delivered to people affected by the war. The group of teachers warned that blocking food, clean water and medicine can cause serious harm to the common people, especially women and children.
The teachers said that the jewish community is facing important ethical questions and that support for the Gaza people needs to be considered based on core humanitarian values.
They called on Israel to expand access to aid, while ensuring that the distribution process is not exploited for military purposes. The group also suggested that Israel should make more efforts to return the hostages and seek solutions to ease tensions.
The letter attracted more than 1,000 signatures in just a few days. The initiators said they hope to contribute to raising international public interest in hunger in the region, as well as promote dialogues on how to behave in accordance with humanitarian values.
On the Israeli side, the country said it is implementing a number of humanitarian assistance measures, including releasing goods from the air and temporarily suspending fighting in some areas so that relief vehicles can access them.
On July 27, Jordan coordinated with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to release 25 tons of relief goods to Gaza after Israel announced a temporary 10 hour-a-day suspension of military operations in densely populated areas and set up hanistic corridors to facilitate the UN convoy.
Israel has also denied allegations of hunger deaths in Gaza, saying it was Hamas- initiated misinformation.
Meanwhile, many opinions say more efforts are needed to increase aid volumes and improve access to international relief organizations.
The situation in Gaza is still very complicated. The calls continue to be made to seek appropriate solutions, balancing security requirements and civil relief needs.
