After 21 months of Israeli offensive in Gaza, humanitarian agencies are warning of an imminent operational collapse. What little aid is being delivered to those remaining in the strip risks stopping entirely. Meanwhile, the civilian death toll is on the rise. On Sunday, at least 95 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, including children collecting water and market-goers in Gaza City.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has confirmed the death of yet another malnourished infant, as eight UN agencies signalled that without fuel, their lifesaving work may soon come to a halt. Gaza’s Health Ministry now reports over 58,000 deaths and 138,000 wounded since the war began on the 7th of October 2023.
The high and rising death toll comes as no surprise, given that the Israeli military has intensified its bombardment. As of the morning of Monday, the 14th of July, it claimed more than 100 new air raids in the last 24 hours alone. Ground operations also continue across northern Gaza.
Aid is scarce, and attempts to collect it have proven deadly after two people were killed near an aid centre in Rafah on Sunday, the latest victims of many since the controversial US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation stepped in after other agencies were banned or blocked from entering the Strip.