UN: Gaza Faces Worst Humanitarian Crisis

The United Nations has warned that the Gaza Strip is “likely experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis” since the outbreak of the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

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Humanitarian efforts are being severely hindered by renewed Israeli military operations and a blockade on aid deliveries that has lasted over 50 days. A report released Wednesday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted that deadly attacks on aid workers and strict movement restrictions within the coastal enclave have severely disrupted relief efforts.

Nearly all of the 43 international and Palestinian aid organizations surveyed reported that they have been forced to either suspend or drastically scale back their operations since Israeli airstrikes resumed on March 18.

The UN recently estimated that around 500,000 Gaza residents have been displaced once again. Oxfam reported a critical shortage of clean drinking water, as infrastructure has been bombed or rendered inoperable, and the last remaining power lines needed to run sanitation systems have been severed.

Food supplies are extremely limited, and prices have surged dramatically. Israel has accused Hamas of forcibly seizing humanitarian aid and reselling it to civilians at inflated prices. Oxfam also noted that emergency power generators are rarely functioning due to a lack of fuel.

Meanwhile, internal debate reportedly continues within the Israeli government over whether to escalate military operations in Gaza or pursue outcomes from ongoing indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hamas.

During a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Israeli media reported that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and others pushed for a major ground offensive aimed at eliminating Hamas. However, according to broadcaster Kan, a senior government official indicated that Israel is still open to giving the ceasefire talks another chance.

The previous ceasefire collapsed a month ago, after which Israel resumed its attacks in Gaza. According to Israeli authorities, 24 hostages remain in captivity, along with the bodies of 35 others abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack that left approximately 1,200 Israelis dead and over 250 taken hostage.

Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that over 51,200 people have been killed, though the figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

NAN/Oluchi