Israeli military officials have resisted easing their siege on Gaza.
In response to UNRWA’s requests for humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said on Tuesday that if the UN agency in charge of Palestinian refugees needed fuel, it may ask Hamas for some.
“Gaza is where these fuel tanks are. They have a fuel capacity of almost 500,000 litres. Ask Hamas if you may have some,” the IDF tweeted, along with a satellite image showing a dozen items close to Rafah.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which earlier wrote, “If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip as of tomorrow night,” meaning Wednesday, received a direct response from this statement.
Following the October 7 Hamas incursion, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,400 Israelis and the kidnapping of another 200 or so, Israel placed a complete embargo on Gaza. In an effort to “dismantle” Hamas, the IDF has also used artillery and aircraft to pound Gaza.
On Tuesday, when asked about the status of the aid to Gaza, US President Joe Biden said it was “not moving fast enough.” By Wednesday, a convoy of 20 trucks from Egypt is planned to bring aid to the Palestinian territories.
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A surgeon from North London who volunteers at the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, told BBC that the relief convoy was a “gimmick.”
“When you send 15 to 20 trucks to a region with two and a half million people, you do it to give the impression that relief is arriving. Not that you want to change how the 15,000 injured will be treated, Abu Sittah replied.
He continued by saying that over the previous 24 hours, the hospital had received 600 dead Palestinians and “three times as many wounded.” Additionally, another 1,800 or so residents have sought refuge inside since Israeli airstrikes are running out on supplies.
They are all around us. They can be found in the wards on the floor as well as in the hallways and floors. There are mattresses everywhere, said Abu Sittah.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that as of Tuesday night, 5,791 Palestinians have died and 16,300 had been injured since October 7.
