UN: Humanitarian crisis in Gaza could be worst since start of war

The Gaza Strip is “likely facing the worst humanitarian crisis” since the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas began more than a year and a half ago, according to the United Nations.

Aid for the civilian population is being hampered by new Israeli military attacks, a blockade of humanitarian aid deliveries that has been in place for more than 50 days, deadly attacks on volunteers and massive restrictions on movement in the coastal strip, according to a report released on Wednesday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Almost all of the 43 international and Palestinian aid organizations stated in a survey that they have “had to suspend or dramatically cut services” since the resumption of Israeli attacks on March 18.

The number of Gaza residents who have been displaced again since then was last estimated by the UN at around half a million.

Aid organization Oxfam reported that there was hardly any clean drinking water left, as facilities have been bombed or have stopped working as the last functioning power lines used to operate the sanitation facilities have been cut. Food meanwhile was scarce and prices had skyrocketed.

Israel accuses Hamas of appropriating relief supplies by force and selling them to the civilian population at inflated prices.

Emergency electricity generators are rarely in operation due to depleted fuel supplies, Oxfam said.

Meanwhile a debate is reportedly continuing within the Israeli government over whether to intensify the attacks on Gaza, or wait for the results of indirect peace negotiations with Hamas.

At a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet on Tuesday evening, the far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and other ministers called for a major ground offensive to completely destroy Hamas, Israeli media reported.

However, the broadcaster Kan reported, citing a senior government representative, that Israel wanted to give the indirect negotiations with Hamas on a new ceasefire another chance.

The last ceasefire phase ended a month ago. Israeli armed forces then resumed their attacks in the Gaza Strip.

Israel says 24 hostages are still being held in Gaza, as well as the bodies of 35 people kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed in Israeli communities and more than 250 Israelis taken hostage.

According to the Hamas-controlled health authority in the Gaza Strip, more than 51,200 people have been killed since then. The figures do not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths.