Palestinian health officials reported that two airstrikes in Gaza resulted in the death of at least 14 individuals, which included two children and one woman. This incident unfolded as eight international humanitarian organizations released a report asserting that Israel has not complied with U.S. demands for increased humanitarian access to the besieged Gaza Strip, where conditions have deteriorated significantly during the 13-month-long conflict.
One of the strikes, which took place late Monday, targeted a cafeteria within the Muwasi humanitarian zone, located west of Khan Younis. Local officials at Nasser Hospital stated that this attack resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, including two minors. Another strike occurred early Tuesday, hitting a residence in the Nuseirat refugee camp situated in central Gaza, leading to the deaths of three individuals, including the aforementioned woman, as reported by al-Awda Hospital.
Last month, the Biden administration urged Israel to expedite the delivery of food and critical aid to Gaza, establishing a deadline of 30 days that was set to expire on Tuesday. U.S. officials warned that failing to meet these demands could activate American laws which would necessitate scaling back military support for Israel amid its conflict with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel has taken some measures to alleviate the humanitarian situation. However, U.S. officials indicated that these efforts may not be adequate, although specifics about any potential actions against Israel have not been disclosed.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict erupted after Palestinian militants infiltrated Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities, predominantly among civilians, and the abduction of 250 individuals. According to Palestinian health officials, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has claimed over 43,000 lives, with officials noting that more than half of these casualties were women and children, although they do not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants.
To the north, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group, commenced firing into Israel on October 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas. As a result of the ongoing conflict, over 3,200 people have perished, and more than 14,000 have sustained injuries in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry in that country.
In the latest developments, the Israeli military announced it had successfully delivered aid to northern Gaza, adhering to the U.S.-imposed timeframe. On Tuesday, Israeli forces stated that hundreds of food and water packages were sent to areas like Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun, which have been the focus of military operations since October 6.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 700 Palestinians had died in northern Gaza since the initiation of these operations, and tens of thousands more have been displaced. The ministry’s figures do not differentiate between civilians and armed combatants.
An official from Israel, who requested anonymity due to military briefing protocols, estimated that between 5,000 to 10,000 Palestinians remain in the northern Gaza region. The aid was delivered following a U.S. ultimatum that demanded an increase in food and other emergency supplies to Gaza, warning that non-compliance could lead to a reduction of U.S. military support for Israel amid its conflict with both Hamas and Hezbollah.
In a related development, the U.N. humanitarian office revealed that during the past month, 85% of requests to coordinate aid convoys and humanitarian missions to northern Gaza faced denial or obstruction. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric noted that out of 98 requests made for passage through a critical checkpoint, only 15 were successful.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concern over the dire conditions in North Gaza, calling for Israel to open the area for humanitarian operations to address substantial needs. A recent report indicated that humanitarian organizations submitted 50 requests to access North Gaza in October; 33 were rejected, and eight were approved but encountered various delays and challenges in completion.
In the past three days, humanitarian teams from OCHA, along with U.N. human rights and de-mining agencies, assessed the needs of numerous displaced families across nine locations in Gaza City. Many of these families have been uprooted from North Gaza and are currently living in shelters, dilapidated buildings, or even in the open where they face threats from animals at night. In one severely damaged building, multiple families, including those with disabilities, were found sheltering in a basement that lacked electricity and was filled with sewage, highlighting the dire humanitarian crisis.