With Israeli ground operations now focused on southern Gaza, conditions “do not exist” to deliver aid, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories Lynn Hastings said, warning that “an even more hellish scenario” is about to unfold in the Palestinian enclave, according to the UN’s latest Gaza assessment.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also reported that Rafah was the only location in Gaza where limited aid – flour and water – was distributed on Monday, while distributions in nearby Khan Younis have all but ceased due to the intensity of the fighting, Al Jazeera reported.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis for Rafah have nowhere to stay and are camping in the streets and other outdoor areas “where they erect tents and makeshift shelters”.
All telecommunication services in Gaza were cut on Monday evening and aid organizations fear the lack of communications will further hamper the provision of “life-saving assistance”.
MP/PR