ANKARA

An Israeli ban on the entry of supplies to the Gaza Strip is pushing the enclave closer to an acute hunger crisis, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned on Sunday.

“It’s been three weeks since the Israeli authorities banned the entry of supplies to Gaza,” Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.

“No food, no medicines, no water, no fuel. A tight siege longer than what was in place in the first phase of the war.”

Israel has banned the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza since March 4, following the expiry of the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas.

Lazzarini warned that Gaza’s population depends on imports via Israel for their survival.

“Every day that passes without the entry of aid means more children go to bed hungry, diseases spread & deprivation deepens,” he said.

“Every day without food inches Gaza closer to an acute hunger crisis,” the UNRWA chief said.

“Banning aid is a collective punishment on Gaza: the vast majority of its population are children, women & ordinary men.”

Lazzarini called for lifting the Israeli siege, the release of all hostages, and access to humanitarian aid and commercial supplies “uninterrupted and at scale.”

The Israeli army has launched a surprise aerial campaign on Gaza since Tuesday, killing more than 700 Palestinians, injuring over 1,200 others, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 113,000 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.