Hamas has urged international aid organizations to deliver essential medical and humanitarian supplies to Gaza, where continued Israeli airstrikes have exacerbated a deepening humanitarian crisis, CNN reported.
The region faces the risk of famine and the imminent depletion of fuel resources as Israel has withheld critical supplies in response to recent acts of violence by Hamas.
Hamas issued a statement calling on “all humanitarian, health and charitable institutions in the Arab, Islamic and international communities to urgently provide the necessary medical and humanitarian aid, as well as fuel, to save the lives of more than two million Palestinian residents.”
Palestinian Health Minister Mai Alkaila also warned of the imminent collapse of the health system in Gaza due to severe shortages of medical equipment, surgical supplies, drugs, and blood bags.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt expressed strong opposition to a total blockade that would deny access to electricity, water, food, and basic goods necessary for the survival of civilians in Gaza. She stressed that Israel has a responsibility to allow access to humanitarian aid and ensure aid for the civilian population. Providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza should be a top priority, she added, according to CNN.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed at least 1,537 people, including 500 children and 267 women, since they began after a deadly attack by Hamas last Saturday. Another 6,612 people were injured.
A statement by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs revealed that over 330,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since Israel began bombing the region.
While Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, maintains control of Gaza, Israel has enforced strict restrictions on the movement of people and goods in and out of the densely populated territory. Those restrictions have now been further tightened in response to the unprecedented attack by Hamas, CNN reported.
Image Source: The Economic Times
