The United Nations continues to call for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza as contacts continue with parties including Egypt over the use of its Rafah crossing. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier thanked Cairo for its constructive engagement to facilitate humanitarian access to a region that remains under an Israeli siege that’s preventing civilians from leaving the devastated enclave while blocking food, water, fuel and medical supplies into the Hamas-controlled territory.
Reports from the region also indicate that Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has called on Israel to stop attacking the Palestinian side of the border to enable the crossing to reopen.
As the death toll continues to climb on both sides of Israel’s border with Gaza, 1300 Israelis and foreign citizens, 1200 Palestinians and thousands more injured, with Israel’s bombing retribution of the enclave leaving large parts of Gaza in rubble and ruin and in desperate need of outside intervention.
With Egypt now calling on countries and aid organisations to use the nearby Al Arish airport as a transit point for humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says, “All 13 hospitals and other health facilities in Gaza are only partially operational due to supply shortages and fuel rationing. The Beit Hanoun hospital is also inaccessible due to damage to the surrounding area. With water supplies cut off from Israel into Gaza, there is a severe shortage of drinking water impacting 650 000 people. Also, Israeli airstrikes have damaged seven facilities that had been providing water and sanitation services to over a million people. In some areas, sewage and solid waste are now accumulating in the streets, posing an obvious severe health hazard.”
Almost 340 000 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza, an increase of 80 000 in just the last 24 hours, with scores of Israelis and some foreign citizens held as hostages by Hamas.
Source: eNCA
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