The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in Gaza as Israeli forces expand their operations throughout the Palestinian enclave.
Since Tuesday, the military has been operating in the southern city of Khan Younis, engaged in “intense battles” with Hamas fighters.
The conflict has caused “unimaginable loss, destruction and misery” and “everyone in Gaza is hungry,” the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said.
Israel’s security cabinet on Wednesday approved a “minimal” increase in the amount of fuel entering Gaza, but global leaders and aid groups say there needs to be much more assistance entering the enclave.
Here’s what to know:
- Hunger in Gaza: In northern Gaza, 97% of households have inadequate food consumption and approximately 83% in southern Gaza are “adopting extreme consumption strategies” to survive, the WFP said. The agency said a quarter of households reported burning waste as their main source of cooking fuel with the rest of households using firewood or wood rubbish. On average, households said they had less than half a gallon of safe drinking water per person per day in northern Gaza.
- Emergency operations crippled: The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said work has stopped at its ambulance center in northern Gaza because there is no fuel. The PRCS also said that bodies continue to be retrieved from the streets and from under rubble but recovery efforts are hampered because of the lack of fuel. Doctors Without Borders reported the number of corpses arriving at Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza has now surpassed the number of injured.
