Israel allowed half of fuel needed for daily humanitarian aid in Gaza: UN official

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Gaza Director Thomas White announced on Saturday that Israel has allowed just half of the fuel into the Gaza Strip needed for daily humanitarian aid.

“A limited amount of fuel has entered Gaza,” White said in a statement on X.

The official pointed out that “as Israeli authorities restrict fuel entering Gaza - this means reduced capacity at the Rafah Crossing to receive aid trucks.”

White stated that “the Israeli authorities have only permitted 50% of the daily fuel requirement for lifesaving humanitarian aid.”

There are “major gaps in the response – e.g. people will have only two thirds of their daily need of clean drinking water,” the official stressed.

While 1.5 million people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israeli intensified attacks, more than 800,000 Palestinians have sought refuge in UNRWA facilities alone.

Since Israel started bombarding on Oct. 7, more than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 8,300 women and children, and more than 30,000 others have been injured, according to the latest figures.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

An Israeli blockade has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity, and water supplies, and reduced aid deliveries to a trickle.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi