Gaza authorities warn of ‘humanitarian disaster' amid Israeli blockade, airstrikes

Palestinian authorities warned Sunday of a "humanitarian disaster" for Gaza's 2.4 million population amid a stifling Israeli blockade and renewed airstrikes.

"The Gaza Strip is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe amid ongoing genocide and international silence," Gaza's government media office said in a statement.

"More than 2.4 million Palestinians are facing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster as the Israeli occupation continues to implement a policy of genocide and daily killing of defenseless civilians without any deterrent from the international community."

The media office said Israel's continued blockade of Gaza's crossings to humanitarian aid "has caused hunger and malnutrition to surge among the population, particularly children and elderly people."

"This (Israeli) policy deepens the worsening crisis, at a time when our Palestinian people are suffering from a systematic policy of starvation," it warned.

The office said that Gaza was grappling with "a severe water crisis that is threatening the lives of Palestinians amid a lack of safe drinking water and the spread of diseases, compounded by the lack of healthcare services."

The Israeli army has launched a surprise aerial campaign on Gaza since Tuesday, killing more than 700 Palestinians, injuring over 1,000 others, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Nearly 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.