The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, announced on Sunday that it has stopped aid deliveries through Gaza’s main cargo crossing. Armed groups have looted recent aid convoys, making the route unsafe for workers and supplies.
This decision is expected to worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of displaced residents rely on aid while living in overcrowded tent camps. Experts warn of famine, particularly in northern Gaza, which has been cut off since early October.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, reported that armed groups looted nearly 100 trucks in mid-November and another shipment on Saturday. The agency can no longer guarantee the safety of its operations.
Civilian casualties in Israeli strikes
Overnight airstrikes by Israel reportedly killed six people in Gaza. Two young children died while sheltering with their family in a tent. The strikes also injured their mother and sibling. Four men were killed in a separate strike in Rafah, according to local hospitals.
The Israeli military said it was unaware of operations in these areas. Israel insists its strikes target militants and aims to avoid civilian casualties. However, women and children often suffer in these attacks.
In a separate incident, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a projectile toward Israel. The Israeli military intercepted it, triggering air raid sirens in central Israel.
Former Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon accused the government of ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza. He criticised ongoing military operations that have displaced tens of thousands and isolated towns such as Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, and Jabaliya. Up to 75,000 people reportedly remain in worsening conditions.
“There is no Beit Lahiya. No Beit Hanoun. [The military is] operating now in Jabaliya and cleaning the territory of Arabs,” Yaalon said in a local interview. He reiterated his claims in a radio interview, alleging that war crimes are being committed.
Netanyahu’s Likud party rejected Yaalon’s remarks, calling them false and damaging to Israel’s reputation. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against several figures, including Netanyahu, over alleged crimes against humanity. Israel denies the allegations and claims the ICC is biased.
Ongoing conflict in Gaza
The conflict began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas militants launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel. This assault killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and led to 250 hostages being taken.
Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza, causing widespread destruction. Over 44,000 Palestinians have died, including many women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel claims to have killed 17,000 militants but has not provided evidence.
The war has displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population. Many are living in overcrowded camps as winter worsens their conditions.
A ceasefire brokered by the United States and France has held between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants. However, it does not include Gaza. Mediation efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have stalled, as Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to end Middle Eastern conflicts but has not outlined specific plans. During his previous term, he supported Israeli policies.
As the war continues, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis grows more severe, with no resolution in sight.
