The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees warned Sunday that Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip is causing "irreparable harm" to the lives of countless Palestinians.
"It has been over 9 weeks of siege on Gaza, with the State of Israel banning the entry of all humanitarian aid, medical, and commercial supplies,” said the agency in a statement.
"The longer this blockade continues, the more irreversible harm is being done to countless lives," it stressed.
The agency noted that the "UNRWA has thousands of trucks ready to enter and our teams in Gaza are ready to scale up the delivery."
It stated that "the man-made and politically motivated starvation in Gaza is an expression of absolute cruelty."
Last Monday, the Gaza Health Ministry reported the deaths of 57 children due to malnutrition and related complications, amid severe shortages of therapeutic milk, particularly for children with special needs.
The blockade follows the collapse of the first phase of a cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel that began on Jan. 19.
Israel resumed its onslaught on Jan. 19 and fully barred aid entry on March 2, cutting off critical food, medical, and relief supplies for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.
Earlier Friday, the U.N. warned that Israel is using aid as "bait" to pressure Palestinians to flee from northern Gaza to the south, dismissing claims of failures in distribution.
On May 5, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the entry of limited aid to Rafah in southern Gaza under military protection as part of a broader operation to displace Palestinians from northern and central areas.
Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 52,800 Palestinians since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
