UNRWA Urges Humanitarian Ceasefire As Gaza Faces ‘Catastrophic Hunger’ Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) renewed its plea for a humanitarian ceasefire, warning of an alarming hunger crisis devastating Gaza.
"Gaza is grappling with catastrophic hunger," Thomas White, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, emphasized on X social media platform, expressing the daily struggle for food and water.
Highlighting the severity, UNRWA reported, "40 percent of the population are now at risk of famine,” adding, “The reality is, we need more aid. The only remaining hope is a humanitarian ceasefire.”
Also Dr. Hani Hamada, overseeing Gaza's health operations, revealed the strain on medical facilities, stating, "Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis is under siege, hindering critical services."
Describing the pressing medical needs, Hamada stressed, "About 1.6 million people in Rafah urgently require medical care, with cancer treatments being disrupted."
“Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis is now besieged and cannot be reached to provide all services,” Hamada said from the Indonesian field hospital in Rafah. “And in the central area, there is only the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, while the European Hospital is all beds full of cases and waiting lists are high for this purpose.”
Urgent intervention is crucial, Hamada emphasized, appealing to international institutions and nations to mitigate the effects of the ongoing Israeli attacks.
In parallel developments, between 6,000 to 25,000 Israeli troops were redeployed within Gaza, with forces present across multiple divisions and ongoing clashes reported in several areas.
Reports indicated that there are at least six brigade-level combat troops operating inside Khan Younis at the moment. They are trying to take control of the area because they say Palestinian fighters were inside.
Tragic casualties persist, with the Palestinian Red Crescent confirming deaths and injuries in attacks on hospitals and residential squares, escalating the conflict's toll. In Khan Younis, a devastating attack near El Amal City Hospital claimed the lives of 10 individuals, leaving 12 others injured, including a child rushed into an ambulance for urgent medical care. Additionally, an Israeli bombing in the al-Wafiya neighborhood resulted in casualties, with at least one Palestinian killed and several others injured.
Meanwhile, in Gaza City's northern suburbs, massive explosions echoed amidst ongoing Israeli artillery shelling, intensifying the already dire situation.
Two more journalists have been killed in Israeli bombings on Gaza, raising the total death toll of journalists in the enclave to 105, the Government Media Office has said.
More than 30 people were killed in the Israeli army attack on a residential square in Beit Lahiya, including photojournalist Ahmed Khair al-Din and journalist Mohammad Khair al-Din, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
In Gaza, at least 21,110 people have been killed and 55,243 injured in Israeli attacks since October 7.