“The situation in Gaza is extremely dire due to the cold weather,” said the UN human rights official in Palestine. “Israel is also obstructing the delivery of aid to the area.”
The official emphasized that Israel has no right to unilaterally determine what aid and equipment enter Gaza.
The Israeli occupation’s blockade of Gaza has severely impacted the humanitarian situation. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Information, Israel has bombed and destroyed three-quarters of Gaza’s buildings.
At least 484 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since December 1st due to violations of a truce brokered by Israel.
Furthermore, only 23,019 aid trucks have entered Gaza in the past 90 days, despite the need for 54,000. Over 50 homes in Gaza have collapsed after being bombed or damaged by Israeli forces, resulting in dozens of casualties.
The heavy rainfall and cold weather have also damaged over 127,000 refugee tents, leaving them unusable and unable to adequately accommodate the over 1.5 million refugees residing in them.
Moreover, severe weather conditions and border closures have significantly worsened the humanitarian situation, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Information.