The current conflict between Israel and Hamas has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza. According to recent reports, more than 56,500 Palestinians have been killed, the overwhelming majority of whom are civilians. The Israeli military is using increasingly brutal tactics. The result is that nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced and are now struggling to obtain basic essentials such as food and fuel.
The Israeli military has acknowledged that Palestinian civilians have been harmed while attempting to secure food from distribution centers amid the chaos. As we know, the situation in Gaza is desperate – much of the territory has been turned to rubble following weeks of unceasing airstrikes. According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Hamas has been pilfering U.S. aid intended for innocent civilians. This theft funds their military campaign against them and exacerbates the 4 year-long crisis.
As of today, about 80 percent of Gaza is subject to evacuation orders or is under IDF control. These circumstances have greatly exacerbated the already difficult operating environment for humanitarian assistance. Manal Dabas / Oxfam The Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) is shouldering too much, as its distributions cannot possibly address the dire needs of the Gazan population.
Israeli tanks and infantry forces had flooded into the Zeitoun neighborhood on the eastern edge of Gaza City. In the meantime, airstrikes hit these four schools—places where families sought refuge after being told to evacuate. Local officials and medical staff reported that waves of airstrikes have resulted in approximately 60 additional Palestinian deaths in recent days.
In another heartbreaking case, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis took in the bodies of 11 family members. They were ambushed on their way back from an aid station linked to the GHF. Ten more died at the site of a United Nations aid warehouse in northern Gaza.
Salah, a resident of Gaza, described the relentless nature of the bombardment:
“Explosions never stopped; they bombed schools and homes. It felt like earthquakes.”
This is made worse still by severe shortages of food, fuel, and other basic necessities. The international community has rightly condemned the rising violence and its devastating effects on the civilian population.
Yair Lapid commented on the ongoing conflict, stating:
“There is no longer any benefit for the state of Israel from continuing the war in Gaza. Only damage on the security, political and economic level.”
Evacuation notices are pushing even more residents—tens of thousands—of northern Gaza to abandon their homes. The international community has been at a loss for how to respond to this escalating crisis. Aid agencies are grappling with a huge task to meet the immediate needs of those affected. Persistent violence and bureaucratic barriers are making this their hardest task yet.
As Israeli forces continue their offensive operations—temporarily paused in places for heavily negotiated “humanitarian pauses”—the situation on the ground continues to be highly fluid. Yet, as witness testimonies reveal, civilians are still paying the highest price in this war. The ongoing destruction of vital infrastructure in Gaza—and targeting of UN shelters—has made relief efforts even more difficult, leaving thousands without safe areas to take shelter.