ISTANBUL

Hunger has spread all across the Gaza Strip amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the enclave, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Sunday.

“Hunger is everywhere in Gaza,” UNRWA said in a statement.

The UN agency said humanitarian conditions are tragic in the Palestinian strip as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan is set to start on Monday.

“The situation in the north is tragic, where aid via land is denied despite repeated calls,” it said. “Ramadan is approaching. The death toll continues to rise.

“Humanitarian access across the Gaza Strip and an immediate cease-fire are imperative to save lives,” UNRWA said.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 people were killed.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 72,600 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents in the north, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala