CAIRO — The U.N. agency that helps Palestinian refugees is asking for a temporary truce in fighting to let people safely leave northern Gaza. They say the situation is very bad, with many people hurt and supplies running out because of the ongoing Israeli attacks.
Philippe Lazzarini, the leader of the U.N. relief agency (UNRWA), said the conditions are so dire that people are feeling hopeless and abandoned. He said, “In northern Gaza, people are just waiting to die.”
Lazzarini called for an immediate truce, even if just for a few hours, so families can leave and find safer places.
This call came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel for talks, encouraging Israeli leaders to take steps to end the conflict, especially after the recent killing of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas.
The U.S. has urged Israel to allow more aid into northern Gaza, where health workers report that much of the aid has not reached them, despite claims from Israel that they have sent many trucks with supplies.
Israel’s military unit that manages aid said 237 trucks have delivered food, water, medical supplies, and shelter equipment from Jordan and other places over the past eight days, all after strict security checks.
On Tuesday, Gaza health officials reported that more than 20 people were killed by Israeli forces, and many bodies are left in the streets and under rubble because rescue teams cannot reach them due to ongoing attacks.
Munir Al-Bursh, the director of the Gaza health ministry, expressed concern, saying, “Many wounded have died before our eyes, and we couldn’t do anything for them.” He also mentioned that hospitals are running out of coffins and have asked people to donate fabric to wrap the dead.
Israel claims that it is helping to evacuate civilians while targeting Hamas militants. They have warned people to leave areas around Beit Lahiya, where the fighting began. Many people fear that these evacuations are part of a plan for Israel to control Gaza more after the war.
Despite the military’s claims, locals say fighting has been limited, with small groups of Hamas fighters launching hit-and-run attacks rather than engaging in full battles.
The armed groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad stated they have attacked Israeli forces with rockets.
Meanwhile, the U.N. said the war has severely damaged the Palestinian economy, making it 35% smaller than before the conflict started a year ago. They reported that living conditions, including health care and education, have dropped back 70 years to levels seen in the 1950s.
In northern Gaza, residents have said that Israeli forces are surrounding hospitals and schools, forcing people to leave, and detaining men. Hussam Abu Safiya, who runs a local hospital, stated that medical services have completely fallen apart, with essential supplies no longer available.
Overall, the death toll in Gaza is nearing 43,000, with most of the 2.3 million residents displaced and living in temporary shelters. The ongoing conflict began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to Gaza.
