Hundreds of people share one toilet, and staff have to provide drinking water on the floor, one liter per day, said Juliette Touma, who works for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA), in an interview with BBC Radio. “Our supplies are running out quickly,” she added. “We have lost 14 people and the casualties are still rising.”
UNRWA declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, according to Al-Dazra TV, expressing concerns about dehydration and diseases from contaminated water due to the collapse of water and sanitation services. According to the agency, the last desalination plant in Gaza stopped functioning on Tuesday.
UNRWA stated that water is only available to about 14% of the population in southern Gaza. The UN agency also warned that the lives of thousands of people in hospitals in Gaza are at risk because fuel for emergency electricity generators is running out.
It is still unclear when the only possible crossing for humanitarian aid, located on the border between Gaza and Egypt, will open. Khira stated that the Rafah crossing has not been closed, but it cannot function due to Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli army continued its retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza on Tuesday night, hitting over 200 targets. The army claimed that these were facilities used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
According to Palestinian sources, Israeli airstrikes also hit residential buildings in Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where at least 71 people were killed and hundreds more were injured. Ambulances transported the injured to overcrowded hospitals, and many people are still trapped under the rubble of bombed houses, making rescue efforts difficult.
USA and Israel plan to develop a strategy
The USA and Israel are planning to develop a strategy to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza without benefiting radical Hamas, who controls the region. Antony Blinken, a US diplomat, announced this after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Reuters. Blinken and Netanyahu held talks for nine hours, which extended into the early morning hours, interrupted briefly by an air raid warning indicating Palestinian rocket fire, during which both officials rushed to a shelter. Blinken has been in the Middle East for six days.
“If Hamas tries in any way to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching civilians, including seizing it for themselves, we will be the first to condemn it. And we will work to ensure that it does not happen,” Blinken told reporters after the talks.
Meanwhile, according to eyewitnesses, trucks carrying humanitarian aid have started moving from the Sinai Peninsula towards Gaza. However, it is unclear whether the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza will open and whether the trucks will be allowed to enter Gaza.
Biden to visit Israel
During his visit, Biden will make it clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens against radical Palestinian group Hamas, Blinken also stated. After Israel, the US President will move to Jordan, where he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, among others, according to the White House spokesperson.
“Biden will make it clear during his visit to Israel that Israel has the right and obligation to defend its people against Hamas and other terrorists and prevent future attacks,” Blinken said.
According to White House spokesperson John Kirby, President Biden also intends to obtain information from Israeli officials about their strategy regarding the pace of military operations.
Israeli media had already speculated about Biden’s visit to Israel on Sunday. After visiting Israel, Biden will travel to Jordan, where he will meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according to White House spokesperson John Kirby.
Hamas launched extensive air and ground attacks on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, over 4,000 Israelis were injured. In addition, Hamas reportedly abducted at least 199 people as hostages in Gaza. Israel responded to Hamas’ attacks with massive airstrikes on Gaza. According to Hamas, 2,808 people were killed and 10,850 were injured in the bombing of Gaza.Hundreds of people share one toilet, and staff have to provide drinking water on the floor, one liter per day, said Juliette Touma, who works for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA), in an interview with BBC Radio. “Our supplies are running out quickly,” she added. “We have lost 14 people and the casualties are still rising.”
UNRWA declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, according to Al-Dazra TV, expressing concerns about dehydration and diseases from contaminated water due to the collapse of water and sanitation services. According to the agency, the last desalination plant in Gaza stopped functioning on Tuesday.
UNRWA stated that water is only available to about 14 percent of the population in southern Gaza. The UN agency also warned that the lives of thousands of people in hospitals in Gaza are at risk because fuel for emergency electricity generators is running out.
It is still unclear when the only possible crossing for humanitarian aid, located on the border between Gaza and Egypt, will open. Khira stated that the Rafah crossing has not been closed, but it cannot function due to Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli army continued its retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza on Tuesday night, hitting over 200 targets. The army claimed that these were facilities used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
According to Palestinian sources, Israeli airstrikes also hit residential buildings in Rafah and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, where at least 71 people were killed and hundreds more were injured. Ambulances are transporting the injured to overcrowded hospitals, and many people are still trapped under the rubble of bombed houses, making rescue efforts difficult.
USA and Israel plan to develop a strategy to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza without benefiting radical Hamas, who controls the region, according to Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Blinken and Netanyahu held nine hours of talks, which extended into the early hours of Tuesday, interrupted briefly by an air raid siren warning of Palestinian rocket fire, during which both officials rushed to a shelter. Blinken has been in the Middle East for six days.
“If Hamas tries in any way to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching civilians, including by seizing it for itself, we will be the first to condemn it. And we will work to ensure that it does not happen,” Blinken told reporters after the talks.
Meanwhile, according to eyewitnesses, trucks carrying humanitarian aid have started moving from the Sinai Peninsula towards Gaza. However, it is unclear whether the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza will open and whether the trucks will be allowed to enter Gaza.
During his visit, Biden made it clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens against radical Palestinian groups such as Hamas, Blinken also stated. After Israel, the US President will move to Jordan, where he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, among others, according to the White House spokesperson.
Biden will make it clear during his visit to Israel that Israel has the right and obligation to defend its people against Hamas and other terrorists and prevent future attacks, Blinken said.
According to White House spokesperson John Kirby, the US President also intends to obtain information from Israeli officials about their strategy regarding the pace of military operations.
Israeli media had already speculated about Biden’s visit to Israel on Sunday. After visiting Israel, Biden will travel to Jordan, where he will meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according to White House spokesperson John Kirby.
On October 7, Hamas launched extensive air and ground attacks on Israel, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, over 4,000 Israelis were injured.
In addition, according to Israeli authorities, Hamas has kidnapped at least 199 people as hostages in Gaza. Israel responded to Hamas’ attacks with massive airstrikes on Gaza. According to Hamas, the bombing of Gaza resulted in the deaths of 2,808 people and injured 10,850 others.
How will the US and Israel develop a strategy to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza without strengthening or benefiting Hamas, and what measures will be taken if Hamas attempts to prevent aid from reaching civilians
After the talks.
Eyewitnesses have reported that trucks carrying humanitarian aid have started moving from the Sinai Peninsula towards Gaza. However, it is still unclear whether the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza will open and whether the trucks will be allowed to enter Gaza.
During his visit, President Biden will make it clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens against the radical Palestinian group Hamas, according to Blinken. After Israel, Biden will travel to Jordan, where he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, among others.
Hamas launched extensive air and ground attacks on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians. Israel responded to these attacks with massive airstrikes on Gaza.
The situation in Gaza is dire, with hundreds of people sharing one toilet and limited access to clean drinking water. The collapse of water and sanitation services has led to concerns about dehydration and diseases from contaminated water. UNRWA has declared a state of emergency, and thousands of people in hospitals are at risk due to fuel shortages for emergency electricity generators.
The Israeli army continues its airstrikes on Gaza, targeting facilities used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Residential buildings have also been hit, leading to numerous casualties and people trapped under rubble.
The USA and Israel are planning to develop a strategy to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza without benefiting Hamas. Blinken emphasized that if Hamas attempts to prevent aid from reaching civilians, it will be condemned, and efforts will be made to ensure it does not happen.
Overall, the situation in Gaza remains critical, and efforts are being made to provide relief and support to those affected by the conflict. The international community, including the US and Israel, is working towards delivering humanitarian aid while addressing the concerns surrounding the control of Hamas in the region.
This is a dire situation and urgent action needs to be taken to address the dehydration and humanitarian crisis in Southern Gaza.
I hope the international community comes together to provide immediate assistance to the people of Southern Gaza. The situation is only worsening and their lives hang in the balance.