One of the world\u2019s leading humanitarian relief organizations says it is facing \u201csignificant disruptions\u201d to its operations in Gaza amid Israel\u2019s ongoing military offensive, exacerbating an already dire crisis for civilians trapped by the violence.<\/p>\n
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that Israel\u2019s ground incursion into the southern Gaza town of Rafah led to the closure of the vital Rafah border crossing and a blockade preventing aid workers and supplies from entering the besieged Palestinian territory.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have recently returned from Gaza, where the scale of the crisis defies imagination,\u201d said Kiryn Lanning, the IRC\u2019s team lead in the occupied Palestinian territories. \u201cFacilities across southern Gaza have been repurposed into makeshift shelters overflowing into the streets. This displaced population is now facing acute shortages of necessities such as food, water, and adequate sanitation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lanning\u2019s stark assessment comes as the death toll from Israel\u2019s two-week military campaign aimed at stopping Palestinian militant rocket fire continues climbing. Palestinian health officials say over 200 civilians, including dozens of children, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, while militants\u2019 rockets have killed over 30 civilians in Israel.<\/p>\n
Previous Israeli offensives against Hamas, the militant group ruling Gaza, have led to humanitarian catastrophes, with civilians trapped amid the heavy bombardments and urban combat zones. The latest round of cross-border fire erupted on May 10 following weeks of rising tensions in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
Nicole Seitz, a spokeswoman for the IRC\u2019s global emergency team, said the closure of the Rafah crossing and restrictions on aid workers were \u201cseverely impacting humanitarian operations\u201d at a time when around 58,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Seitz expressed that the situation for civilians in Gaza had escalated from critical to catastrophic. He noted that entire neighbourhoods had been levelled, making it challenging to provide life-saving services to those in greatest need.<\/p>\n
The IRC called for immediate steps to protect civilians in Gaza and ensure humanitarian access to the enclave of over 2 million Palestinians, urging all parties to adhere to their obligations under international law.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the IRC\u2019s statement. Israeli officials have accused Palestinian militants of using civilians in Gaza as human shields and operating in densely populated areas.<\/p>\n
With no diplomatic resolution in sight, the growing displacement crisis in Gaza threatens to fuel wider regional instability unless humanitarian efforts can proceed without impediment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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