At least 12 Palestinians were killed Monday during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza amid heightening concerns over new military operations to displace people from the northern parts of the enclave. As the humanitarian crisis worsens, a spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said Israel cut the number of truck entries carrying aid into Gaza – which would further worsen sharp shortages of food, medicines, and other supplies in the besieged enclave.

The increasing Casualties from Airstrikes 

The attacks killed seven, where the strikes by Israel targeted two residential buildings in Beit Lahiya. Local medics say five others died in attacks in other parts of central and southern Gaza. Israel tanks are said to have moved into the northeast Nuseirat camp earlier in the day. Israel has insisted that its military campaign had to prevent Hamas militants from rallying in those regions.

The Israeli military has carried out intensive attacks on Kamal Adwan Hospital, wounding dozens of its employees and patients. The health institution claims the bombardment makes it impossible for medical professionals to find their way inside the compound. Apparently, “the decision was made to kill all the workers who refused to abandon the hospital,” said a senior Palestinian Health Ministry official on conditions put the doctors and the patients under.

Humanitarian Conditions Deteriorate

With hostilities continuing, the civilian population in Gaza is on the brink of catastrophe. The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, stated that Israel has drastically cut down on the number of aid trucks going into Gaza to just about 30 a day. This is the lowest it has ever been, he said. Only 6% of what used to enter Gaza was commercial and humanitarian before hostilities started. “This is insufficient to drive 2 million citizens who are now hungry and live in bad conditions using the healthcare, education sectors, farming among others, and infrastructures for them,” Lazzarini pointed out.

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On the other hand, an Israeli government official pointed out that no restrictions have been imposed on supplies, noting 47 trucks carrying aid into northern Gaza on Sunday. Nonetheless, statistics show the amount of assistance allowed to enter Gaza remains at the lowest rate since the onset of conflict in October 2023.

 UNRWA’s Future in Jeopardy

Diplomatically, Israel has issued an official statement to the United Nations on its decision to cancel its agreement with UNRWA, dating back decades. The reason given for this step is that Hamas has successfully infiltrated this agency. This step will automatically disallow UNRWA from operating because Israel intends to collaborate with other UN agencies to allow aid to flow into Gaza instead. Lazzarini warned that reducing humanitarian access in Gaza as UNRWA is dismantled will only make the plight of civilians there worse, which he described as “unspeakable.”

In August, the UN said nine employees of UNRWA were suspected of involvement in the October 7 attacks on Israel and were fired. Things only got worse when an employee of UNRWA was found to be a Hamas commander killed in an Israeli airstrike.

A Humanitarian Catastrophe

Since the hostilities broke out on October 7, 2023, amid a Hamas-led attack in which nearly 1,200 Israelis lost their lives, Gaza has been essentially flattened. The Hamas government operating in Gaza reports that close to 1,800 Palestinians have been killed and 4,000 wounded in the conflict so far. The health ministry is yet to confirm the same, and Israel has consistently called out Hamas for exaggerating casualty figures.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate as Israel escalates its military operations—the need for international intervention and support for the beleaguered population under the devastating blockade and violence mounts.