Who is responsible for feeding Gaza?
Arguments fly over Israel’s duty to maintain aid
![FILE - Palestinians line up for a meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. The United Nations said Tuesday, M](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240601_MAP001.jpg)
An estimated 1m Palestinians have fled Rafah since the start of Israel’s offensive there on May 6th. For those who remain, the fighting has had grisly consequences. At least 45 people, including a number of children, died on May 26th after an Israeli air strike set fire to a tent camp; survivors had to pull charred bodies from the wreckage. Even those who evacuated are not entirely safe: dozens more were killed two days later in a strike near al-Mawasi, a so-called “humanitarian zone” for displaced civilians.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Assuming responsibility”
Middle East & Africa June 1st 2024
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