'Catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst' since beginning of Israeli attacks: UN
'Displacement continued across Gaza, with nearly 200,000 people displaced in the last 2 weeks alone,' says spokesperson
HAMILTON, Canada
The UN said Friday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached its most "catastrophic" level since the start of Israeli military operations, with ongoing strikes, mass displacement, and severe aid restrictions.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that "the catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst it has been" since start of Israeli military operations in October 2023.
He said Israeli strikes have intensified across the enclave, particularly in North Gaza, where the Al Awda hospital -- the last partially functioning hospital in the area -- was forced to evacuate following repeated attacks.
"Displacement continued across Gaza, with nearly 200,000 people displaced in the last two weeks alone," he said, adding that renewed Israeli displacement order now covers around 30% of Gaza's territory, while many civilians are also moving "driven by the search for food and necessities, rather than displacement orders."
On aid delivery, Dujarric said only five truckloads were collected from the Palestinian side of Kareem Shalom on Wednesday.
"The other 60 trucks had to return to the crossing due to intense hostilities in the area," he said.
Asked about the reason for the aid trucks returning, Dujarric said it was because the road "was no longer safe to use."
On the occupied West Bank, Dujarric warned of a sharp increase in settler violence, and said: "So far this year, settlers have injured more than 220 Palestinians, an average of 44 per month, and the highest rate in at least 20 years."
"Meanwhile, Israeli-imposed movement restrictions across Salfit governorate -- in the northern West Bank -- continue to disrupt the access of nearly 90,000 people to healthcare, education and livelihoods," he said.
According to latest reports, the Israeli Security Cabinet has "secretly" approved the construction of 22 new illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
The International Court of Justice declared last July that Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
According to Palestinian figures, illegal settlers staged 341 attacks against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank last month.
Since the start of the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 970 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.�
