27 Days of Israel’s Blockade on Aid Into Gaza: Authorities Warn of Unprecedented Humanitarian Crisis

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Israeli occupation authorities have been closing the crossings leading to the Gaza Strip for 27 consecutive days amid a deadly assault that has killed more than 830 Palestinian civilians, worsening the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Gaza’s Government Media Office (GMO) issued a press release detailing the unfolding crisis in the Palestinian enclave, which threatens the lives of 2.4 million Palestinians.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Death Toll

Over 61,000 people have been killed or gone missing, including more than 50,000 who were brought to hospitals, along with over 113,000 injured people over the past 18 months.

Crossings Closure and Consequences

On March 1, Israel closed all crossings leading to Gaza, blocking the entry of all humanitarian aid, including food, fuel, and medicine.

According to the humanitarian protocol agreed upon in the Gaza ceasefire, signed on January 19 between Hamas and Israel, 600 aid trucks and 50 fuel trucks were supposed to enter daily. However, Israel has violated this agreement, worsening the humanitarian crisis. It was expected that 15,000 aid trucks and 1,250 fuel trucks would have entered since March, but none have, deepening the humanitarian disaster.

The GMO noted that humanitarian aid since the start of the genocide war has not been delivered to the Palestinian government in Gaza or any Palestinian faction. Instead, aid enters for the benefit of international humanitarian organizations in coordination with the Israeli occupation and is distributed directly to citizens without interference.

It added that the complete closure of the crossings is a “crime against humanity and a flagrant violation of international laws, including international humanitarian law. We, along with international human rights, legal, and humanitarian organizations, hold the occupation fully responsible for the catastrophic consequences of this illegal decision.”

Consequences of Crossings Closure

1. Food Insecurity:
– 85% of the population has lost access to basic food sources due to the cessation of charity kitchens and food aid.
– Markets are empty of basic goods, threatening an imminent famine, with severe consequences.

2. Halting Bread Production:
– Dozens of bakeries have been forced to close across Gaza due to fuel shortages, with the occupation preventing fuel from entering the Strip.
– The food crisis is expected to worsen in the coming days due to the blockade, and we warn the world of the severe humanitarian situation.

3. Severe Water Crisis:
– Over 90% of Gaza’s population has no access to clean water.
– The occupation has destroyed 719 water wells and 330,000 meters of water networks.

4. Collapse of Environmental and Health Services:
– Street-clearing and rubble removal programs have stopped due to a lack of fuel.
– Waste has accumulated in hundreds of streets, leading to a health disaster.
– The spread of mosquitoes and harmful insects, as well as diseases, is increasing.

5. Cooking Gas Crisis:
– The closure of bakeries and kitchens is worsening the suffering of Gaza’s residents.
– Vital sectors dependent on energy and electricity are nearing total paralysis.

6. Health System Collapse:
– The occupation has destroyed 34 hospitals and 80 health centers, rendering them non-operational.
– Dozens of health institutions and 140 ambulances have been targeted.
– 22,000 patients, including 12,500 cancer patients, have been deprived of treatment abroad.
– The suffering of 350,000 people with chronic diseases has worsened due to shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
– The entry of medicines, treatments, and medical supplies has been blocked, along with medical delegations and specialized surgeons.

7. Humanitarian Crisis for Displaced People:
– The occupation has blocked the entry of tents and caravans, leaving 280,000 families homeless.
– 110,000 tents have deteriorated throughout the course of the genocide, adding to the suffering of the displaced.

8. Collapse of Transportation and Public Transport:
– Public transportation has nearly come to a halt due to fuel shortages and the lack of cooking gas.
– 2.8 million meters of road and street networks have been destroyed.

9. Collapse of Sewage Networks:
– The occupation has destroyed 655,000 meters of sewage networks.
– The rise in sewage levels has caused flooding in dozens of homes.

10. Destruction of the Education Sector:
– The occupation has completely or partially destroyed 500 schools and universities.
– 12,900 students from various educational stages have been killed.
– 785,000 students have been deprived of education due to the war.
– 800 teachers, educational staff, and 150 academics and researchers have been killed.
– The occupation has blocked the entry of materials needed for rebuilding and restoring the education sector due to the closure of crossings.

11. Severe Electricity Crisis:
– The occupation has blocked the entry of fuel for Gaza’s only power plant, leading to a power outage that has lasted for 18 months.
– 3,700 kilometers of electrical networks and 2,105 power transformers have been destroyed.
– The occupation has cut off electricity to the water desalination plant in Deir al-Balah, halting the supply of 20,000 cups of water daily to central Gaza and Khan Younis. This is worsening the water crisis and increasing the spread of infectious and skin diseases, in an already deteriorating health environment with a severe shortage of medical services.

The GMO condemned the “ongoing crimes of genocide committed by the Israeli occupation and hold both the occupation and the U.S. administration fully responsible for the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has reached an unprecedented level.”

“We call on all free nations of the world to condemn these crimes, which international law recognizes as crimes against humanity,” it said, urging “the United Nations, human rights and humanitarian organizations, and all free nations to apply immediate pressure on the occupation to open the crossings and allow humanitarian aid to enter before this catastrophe turns into a full-scale famine and an unparalleled disaster in modern history.”