In the face of escalating violence, Israel has stated it will not grant any humanitarian exceptions to its current siege of Gaza until all its hostages are safely returned.
The decision comes as international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), urgently warn of the deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip.
Following the deadliest assault on its civilians, where hundreds of attackers stormed Israeli towns, the death toll in Israel has surpassed 1,300, Reuters reports.
Most victims were civilians, tragically caught in their homes or public places like dance events.
Israeli authorities have reported finding homes filled with the bodies of residents, alongside distressing accounts of violence against women and children.
In the aftermath of the attack, a significant number of Israelis and foreigners were abducted and taken as hostages to Gaza.
Israel has verified the identities of 97 of these individuals.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said at least 25 Americans have also been killed since the assault by Hamas militants.
In retaliation, Israel has enforced a complete blockade of Gaza, a region with a population of 2.3 million.
Coupled with the harshest aerial bombardment witnessed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s 75-year timeline, vast areas of Gaza have been decimated.
Palestinian sources reveal that the ongoing bombardment has claimed the lives of 1,354 Palestinians and left over 6,000 injured.
Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC regional director, urgently addressed the situation, stating, “Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues.”
Carboni implored both sides to mitigate the suffering of civilians, emphasizing, “The human misery caused by this escalation is abhorrent.”
However, Israel’s stance remains firm.
Energy Minister Israel Katz reiterated the country’s position, saying, “Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be lifted, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home. Humanitarian for humanitarian. And nobody should preach us morals.”
Simultaneously, the United Nations (UN) reports a grim scenario unfolding in Gaza.
The region faces a severe scarcity of essentials, including food and water.
Brian Lander, the deputy head of emergencies of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), expressed serious concerns, revealing, “We don’t have access to the Gaza Strip that’s been closed down… The people that are seeking shelter and striving to survive in this environment are only going to get worse and worse situations as time goes on.”
Lander further stressed the urgency of the matter, emphasizing, “unless we’re able to access those communities, the people that are in need, the civilian population, there’s going to be an extreme situation for them.”
With mounting tensions and deepening crises, WFP strongly appeals to all involved parties “to abide by international humanitarian law to allow for those supplies to be brought to the communities that are in need.”
