Gaza’s Desperate Plight: Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Amid Israeli Occupation Aggression

Salamah Marouf, Head of the Government Information Office in Gaza, stated that Israel’s occupation is waging a war of starvation on the besieged population of the Gaza Strip, indiscriminately affecting residents in the north and south alike. Marouf warned that signs of malnutrition and dehydration are emerging among children in Gaza. He noted that the aid entering the Gaza Strip so far is equivalent to what used to enter in a single day before the Israeli occupation aggression, emphasizing that these aid shipments do not meet the real and urgent needs of the people.

Water and Electricity

In Beirut, Hamas leader Basem Naeem stated that potable water in Gaza is now over 90% scarce. Naeem, in a joint press conference with the movement’s representative in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, added that Gaza residents often resort to seawater, leading to health issues. He accused the Israeli occupation of intentionally cutting off water to the Gaza Strip, a crime against humanity. He expressed shame on the international community for allowing the occupation to use water as leverage against Gaza’s residents. Naeem also mentioned that Gazans are facing a crisis in securing bread due to the occupation’s bombardment of bakeries.

He accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of collusion with Israel by neglecting its established role in international law, calling on the global community and the United Nations not to succumb to the occupier’s will. Naeem highlighted that 2% of Gaza’s population has become either martyrs, wounded, or missing.

Jalal Ismail, the head of the Palestinian Energy Authority in Gaza, stated that 70% of the electricity distribution networks in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed due to the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression. Ismail added that the losses in the electricity sector in Gaza are estimated at over $80 million.

Hospital Shutdowns

The hospitals in the Gaza Strip continue to suffer from a complete absence of fuel, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The Director-General of Hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Mohammed Zakout, has issued a stark warning, emphasizing the dire situation in the region. Specifically, he highlighted the imminent risk to children’s lives due to the forced evacuation of hospitals, notably the Rantisi and Al-Awda Hospitals. Moreover, he underscored the alarming lack of a safe space at the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, making it impossible to access the bodies of the martyrs.

He also mentioned that critical issues, including the hazardous accumulation of garbage and medical waste, a shortage of water, and persistent power outages, pose a severe threat to everyone’s well-being. He mentioned that approximately 1,500 displaced individuals in the Al-Shifa Medical Complex are in immediate danger. Urgently, a plea is made to the Egyptian authorities to organize an ambulance convoy for the transportation of 650 patients without adhering to the current bureaucratic mechanisms. Meanwhile,

Destruction of Housing Units

In another development, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, Irene Khan, revealed that Israeli occupation attacks on Gaza have resulted in the destruction or damage of 45% of all housing units in the Gaza Strip. Khan added that this has led to the internal displacement of 1.5 million people and the death of over 10,000.

The UN official described the destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure in Gaza as an international war crime. Irene Khan called on the world to act immediately to end the widespread attacks on civilian homes and infrastructure in Gaza, which have incurred a high cost in lives.