MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says Israel will seize more land in Gaza and that the army will remain in parts of the Strip indefinitely. The military has begun calling up reservists in preparation for what Netanyahu calls an intensive escalation of the war. Israel has imposed a full blockade on Gaza for two months now. Hunger is widespread. Under this new plan, the Israeli government would shut down hundreds of soup kitchens and aid centers around Gaza and push residents to the south, near the border with Egypt. That's where it would set up new aid centers, run by American security contractors. Israel says this will isolate Hamas, which it accuses of stealing aid.
We want to know what the conditions are like now, so we've called Shaina Low. She's a communications adviser with the Norwegian Refugee Council, an independent humanitarian organization. Shaina Low, thanks so much for joining us.
SHAINA LOW: Thank you.
MARTIN: When is the last time your group was able to deliver aid into Gaza, and what do you know about conditions on the ground there now?
LOW: Well, we last brought aid into Gaza over two months ago, before Israel implemented this complete siege that has prevented any aid or goods from entering Gaza for over two months now. Yesterday, we actually distributed the very last of our stocks of shelter supplies and hygiene kits for families in need, and now we are quite literally out of aid. We continue to provide water to displacement sites and soft services like legal aid and protection services, but we are increasingly limited as the situation on the ground gets more and more dire.
MARTIN: You...
LOW: Our teams are seeing hunger spread and needs continue to grow as Israel bombardments continue.
MARTIN: You still have workers there, but they just don't have anything to distribute. Is that right?
LOW: That is right. We have around 70 staff on the ground in Gaza. Most of them are national staff from Gaza serving their communities. And right now, due to both the lack of aid and the insecurity that they are facing, we've had to severely limit and curtail our operations.
MARTIN: What are they telling you that is most critically needed in Gaza right now?
LOW: You know, it's really difficult to say what's most critically needed. Of course, food is at the top of the list. People are going hungry. Community kitchens have already started shutting down. But on top of that, there's need for clean water, fuel to keep operations running and generators and hospitals running, medicine, shelter, tents. Over a million people need tents in Gaza as displacement continues.
MARTIN: So, you know, the U.N. was asked to participate in this new system that I just described. But the U.N. said it would not cooperate because the plan amounts to using aid as a weapon of war to try to achieve military objectives. Has your organization been asked to participate, and has your organization taken a decision about whether you would?
LOW: We have been very outspoken - and our secretary general, Jan Egeland, has been very outspoken - about the fact that we will not participate in systems and schemes that undermine our ability to deliver aid and adhere to humanitarian principles of independence, impartiality and neutrality. We are committed to serving Palestinians throughout Gaza, wherever they are, with the goods and services that they require.
MARTIN: Do you know of any organization planning to participate?
LOW: It's hard to know. There are rumors spreading, but I think the aid system has come out very strongly. We saw a joint statement from the heads of U.N. agencies in the occupied Palestinian territory, along with international and Palestinian NGOs, rejecting this scheme and reaffirming our willingness, our eagerness, to deliver aid in a way that is principled and protects both humanitarian workers and the people who we are there to serve.
MARTIN: But that has to be difficult, though, because if it's the choice of getting aid in even under these conditions and not getting any in at all, that has to be a dilemma.
LOW: Of course. We are eager to serve people, but we also know that aid cannot and should not be weaponized in order to move civilian populations or achieve military goals. And that's a red line that we are just unwilling to cross.
MARTIN: Before we let you go, very briefly, I'm sure you're aware of the Trump administration's - basically shutting down USAID. Has that had any impact on your operations?
LOW: It's certainly had an impact on NRC's operations globally. We did not have much USAID funding in our operations in Palestine. But we're seeing the cutting of USAID funding impact our partners and peers throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, and their ability to deliver lifesaving assistance.
MARTIN: That's Shaina Low with the Norwegian Refugee Council. Shaina Low, thank you so much for joining us and sharing these insights with us.
LOW: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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