Gaza City: Israel has blocked all attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Thursday. In a statement, UNRWA reported 91 attempts to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid to Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Sahour in northern Gaza from Oct. 6 to Nov. 25 were made. Out of these, 82 attempts were outrightly denied, while 9 of them were impeded. The agency highlighted the diminishing conditions for survival for the estimated 65,000-75,000 people remaining in the area, who have been facing these harsh conditions for over 50 days.
According to Anadolu Agency, UNRWA warned of the dire situation facing thousands of families who have fled the besieged areas in northern Gaza. These families are now sheltering in the cold and rain without essential supplies like blankets, mattresses, and waterproof shelters. The situation has been described by the agency as “beyond miserable.”
Since Oct. 5, Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in n
orthern Gaza, purportedly to prevent the Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. However, Palestinians accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents. Consequently, no humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, has been allowed into the area, leaving the population, currently estimated at 80,000, on the verge of famine.
Palestinian health authorities report that more than 2,300 people have been killed since the launch of the Israeli campaign on Oct. 5 in the northern Gaza Strip. This onslaught is the latest episode in a brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has resulted in nearly 44,300 deaths, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.
Further escalating the situation, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last week for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the Internati
onal Court of Justice regarding its actions in Gaza.