The United Nations has reported that Israel has denied requests to supply fuel to hospitals in northern Gaza on five separate occasions over the past week. In a press conference held yesterday, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, stated that several hospitals in northern Gaza have been without fresh fuel for more than ten days.
When asked about the reasons given by Israel for blocking the fuel trucks, Dujarric replied, “Reasons are often not provided.” He also highlighted the difficulties faced by aid organisations trying to deliver supplies to northern Gaza.
Dujarric further noted the ongoing issues at the Karim Shalom crossing, where aid can be offloaded from the Israeli side but access remains restricted due to security concerns.
Additionally, he pointed out that the situation in southern Gaza is complicated by overcrowding and continuous displacement, which hampers movement and aid delivery. Despite these challenges, efforts are being made to recruit and train over 1,000 healthcare workers and volunteers across 11 health centres in Gaza for a polio vaccination campaign. The aim is to reach at least 95% of the 640,000 children under ten years old in the region.
The conflict, which intensified following a cross-border incursion by Hamas in October, has resulted in over 40,500 Palestinian deaths—primarily women and children—and nearly 94,000 injuries, according to local health authorities. Gaza remains devastated by the ongoing blockade of essential supplies like food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza, although it denies these allegations.