United Nations: The UN humanitarian chief is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urging Israel to lift its blockade, allowing life-saving aid and commercial supplies to reach the enclave. This plea comes after the latest round of deadly Israeli airstrikes, which have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"Overnight, our worst fears materialised. Airstrikes resumed across the entire Gaza Strip," said Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, briefing the Security Council in a video call from Brussels.
"New evacuation orders issued by Israeli forces, and once again, the people of Gaza living in abject fear," he added.
According to the Xinhua news agency, Fletcher warned that suspending aid and commercial materials into Gaza is undermining the progress made during the ceasefire, forcing essential survival resources to be rationed.
Since March 2, Israeli authorities have blocked the entry of essential supplies, including food, medicine, fuel, and cooking gas. To make matters worse, they've also cut power to southern Gaza's desalination plant, leaving 600,000 people without access to clean water.
The total blockade of life-saving aid, basic commodities, and commercial goods will have a devastating impact on the people of Gaza, who rely heavily on a steady flow of assistance into the Strip, he warned.
"We cannot and must not accept a return to pre-ceasefire conditions or the complete denial of humanitarian relief," he emphasised. "Civilians must be protected, and their essential needs must be met. International law must be respected."
The UN relief chief has called for the immediate entry of aid and commercial supplies into Gaza and urged parties to renew the ceasefire.
"Blocking food, water and medicine for people who need them is unconscionable," he said. "The return to hostilities overnight must cease. The suffering of the people of the region must end."
Earlier, UN High Commissioner Volker Turk stated that 18 months of violence in Gaza have proven there's no military solution to the crisis.
"The only way forward is a political settlement, in line with international law," Turk said.
(inputs from IANS)