Gaza Strip will face humanitarian catastrophe if aid not allowed: UN agency for Palestine refugees

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Gaza Strip will face a humanitarian catastrophe if safe corridors are not opened up for aid, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned.

“The Gaza Strip will witness an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe if safe corridors are not opened for the arrival of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, food, and water,” Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesman for the UNRWA said.

Israel is continuing to close all border crossings with the Gaza Strip, making it impossible for any humanitarian aid to enter.

“The coming hours will see Gaza run out of fuel and hospitals out of service,” Abu Hasna said. “Continuation of the situation means that the Gaza Strip will be without food within two weeks.”

The UNRWA said that more than 175,000 people in Gaza have taken refuge in 88 of its schools.

The agency said that the numbers are rising due to the continued Israeli airstrikes.

Israel’s step of cutting off water and electricity supplies to the already-blockaded Gaza Strip, while blocking the entry of badly needed humanitarian supplies and preventing residents who want to exit the strip for their safety, has drawn worldwide condemnation and even accusations of war crimes.

Israeli forces have launched a brutal military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to Hamas’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood which was launched in retaliation for the relentless storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians in recent months.

In response to Hamas’ actions, the Israeli military swiftly launched Operation Swords of Iron that has brought immense suffering to the people of Gaza, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the blockaded enclave.

Beyond military operations that have left over a 1000 dead, Israel has cut water and electricity supplies to Gaza, worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007. The strip, home to nearly 2.2 million Palestinians, has long faced severe hardships due to the Israeli blockade.

Some in the international community have made calls for de-escalation and negotiations towards peaceful resolution. As Israel’s war on Gaza unfolds, there are serious concerns about the lasting impact on innocent civilians.