The United Nations humanitarian agency highlights the need for fuel, medical supplies and water on the Palestinian territory besieged by Israel.
The United Nations Humanitarian Agency (OCHA) has warned that avoidable diseases in Gaza are increasing and killing civilians due to the lack of desperately necessary and drinking water.
The OCHA in a statement said Thursday that in the past two weeks, “more than 19,000 cases of acute aqueous diarrhea have been recorded, as well as more than 200 cases of acute jaundice syndrome and bloody diarrhea”.
“These epidemics are directly linked to the lack of clean water and sanitation in Gaza, emphasizing the urgent need of fuel, medical supplies and water, sanitation and hygiene to avoid the collapse of the public health system,” added the agency.
The blockade of Israel on the fuel entrance to Gaza paralyzed the desalination plants of the territory and the water system.
The Israeli army has destroyed a large part of Gaza, moved almost the entire population of the territory and placed a suffocating seat on the enclave. In addition to disastrous humanitarian conditions, the Israeli army continues to kill dozens of Palestinians in Gaza daily.
The main rights defense groups and UN experts described the Israeli campaign as a genocide.
OCHA said Thursday that more than 20 people were killed and around 70 others were injured after a strike on Deir El-Balah, Central Gaza.
Medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that Israeli attacks had killed at least 71 people through Gaza on Thursday.
Since the War of Israel against Gaza began in October 2023, at least 56,259 people were killed and 132,458 others were injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
After a blockade of more than two months of essential products entering Gaza, the Israeli government has announced that it allowed to enter the enclave in May.
However, due to Israeli restrictions, the amount of incoming aid was minimal, the aid agencies that called it a “drop in the ocean”.
A large part of the authorized aid was through the United States and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which was condemned by aid agencies, such as a “armament” of humanitarian goods.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video message that the army was invited to write a new plan to provide assistance to Gaza after not verified images showed masked men above the emergency trucks in northern Gaza.
While Israel said that the men were members of Hamas, the leaders of the Palestinian clan without affiliation with the group said that masked men protected the truck against looting.
Several UN officials have refuted the statements of Israel that Hamas steals humanitarian aid. Last month, Israeli officials recognized armed with criminal gangs linked to the looting of the aid to compete with Hamas.
