By SCM Staff Writer I September 28, 2025
GAZA, Palestine – The Gaza-based Civil Defense agency’s Humanitarian Relief Department on Saturday issued a strongly worded statement, accusing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of rejecting 73 coordination requests over the past two consecutive weeks, effectively preventing rescue teams from reaching injured and besieged civilians in specific northern Gaza neighborhoods.
The agency claims the rejections, allegedly sent via international organizations operating in the Strip, have led to preventable deaths among those trapped without aid or medical assistance.
According to the Civil Defense statement, the 73 coordination requests were intended to enable teams to reach citizens who had issued distress calls from areas including Al-Zarqa, Al-Mahatta, and east of Al-Nafaq in Al-Tuffah neighborhood, as well as Al-Sabra and Tel Al-Hawa in Al-Rimal Al-Janoubi neighborhood.
“For the second consecutive week, the ‘Israeli’ occupation army has rejected coordination requests… to allow rescue teams access to areas inhabited by citizens, including injured individuals, after we received distress calls from them to rescue them,” the statement read.
The Civil Defense further asserted that the refusal to grant access has resulted in fatalities. “We confirm that a number of the injured besieged in these areas have died, and some of their relatives were able to retrieve them from their homes and transfer them to the hospital under very dangerous conditions.”
The agency also highlighted that the ongoing situation is creating a humanitarian catastrophe, stating that the continued “siege” of thousands of citizens in those areas “threatens their lives with death, in light of the prevention of basic necessities from reaching them for the second consecutive week.”
The statement concluded with a call for international intervention, urging global humanitarian organizations to “pressure the ‘Israeli’ occupation to respect international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, which reject restricting the work of humanitarian and civil protection workers.”
The IDF and COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), the Israeli military body responsible for coordinating aid and civilian matters in Gaza, have frequently stated that their clearance process is designed to prevent the diversion of supplies and movement by Hamas operatives.
Israeli officials often maintain that Hamas exploits humanitarian corridors and assets, including hospitals and civilian vehicles, for military purposes, which necessitates strict oversight of movements within the war zone.
