Food and Drinking Water Reserves in Gaza Nearly Depleted Due to Complete Blockade

Two hours ago, it was reported that the food and drinking water supplies in the Gaza Strip are virtually exhausted after two months of a total blockade imposed by Israeli authorities, halting the delivery of humanitarian and food aid to the Palestinian enclave. Olga Cheredko, a representative of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, conveyed this information during a briefing in Geneva, according to TASS.

Since the onset of the blockade, Cheredko explained, a "countdown to the worst-case scenario" has begun within the enclave. Specifically, fuel in Gaza is now allocated under strict rationing to sustain only the most essential operations. "Food supplies are nearly depleted, access to water is becoming impossible, and hospitals are reporting shortages of blood supplies because they continue to receive a large number of casualties," the UN official stated.

On April 22, Philip Lazzarini, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner for the Middle East, reported that Gaza had become a zone of despair following Israel’s complete blockade of humanitarian, medical, and other supplies fifty days earlier. He described the situation as a "catastrophe," accusing the Israeli government of using humanitarian aid "as a bargaining chip and a weapon of war."

On March 18, the Israeli military resumed hostilities in Gaza, launching intensive strikes that broke the ceasefire established in January. The Prime Minister’s office in Benjamin Netanyahu explained that the operations were a response to the Palestinian movement Hamas’s rejection of proposals made during negotiations mediated by international intermediaries and U.S. Special Envoy Stephen Whittaker. Netanyahu stated that the goal of the operation was to liberate all hostages. Palestinian representatives blamed Israel and the United States for the resumption of fighting.