Tel Aviv [Israel], October 13 : Hamas has made an urgent plea to international relief organisations to deliver essential medical and humanitarian supplies to Gaza, where Israel's ongoing airstrikes have exacerbated a deepening humanitarian crisis, CNN reported.
The region faces the risk of starvation and the imminent depletion of fuel resources as Israel has withheld critical supplies in response to Hamas' recent acts of violence.
Hamas issued a statement, urging "all relief, health, and charitable institutions in the Arab, Islamic, and international communities to swiftly provide necessary medical and humanitarian aid, as well as fuel, to save the lives of over two million Palestinian residents."
Palestinian Minister of Health Mai Alkaila also warned of an imminent healthcare system collapse in Gaza due to severe shortages of medical equipment, surgical supplies, medications, and blood bags.
Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt expressed strong disapproval of a complete blockade, which would deny access to electricity, water, food, and essential goods necessary for civilian survival in Gaza. She emphasised that Israel has a responsibility to permit humanitarian aid access and ensure assistance for the civilian population. Providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza should be a top priority, she added, according to CNN.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least 1,537 individuals, including 500 children and 267 women, since their commencement following a deadly Hamas attack last Saturday. An additional 6,612 people have sustained injuries.
A statement from the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs revealed that over 330,000 individuals have been displaced in Gaza since Israel initiated its bombardment of the region.
While Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, maintains control over Gaza, Israel has enforced strict restrictions on the movement of residents and goods in and out of the densely populated territory. These restrictions have now been tightened further in response to Hamas' unprecedented attack, CNN reported.
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