Israel Defence Forces say "no humanitarian crisis" in Gaza

TEL AVIV: Amid orders for Palestinians to move south, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed there was "no humanitarian crisis" in the Gaza strip, The Times of Israel reported on Saturday.

Some 7,00,000 people of the nearly 1.1 million population residing in northern Gaza have evacuated south in the past few days, according to the Israel Defence Forces.

"As of now, I can tell you that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There are hardships in moving people within days to the south of the Gaza Strip, but the population is getting along," an Israeli security official told the reporters, according to The Times of Israel.

"There is no shortage of water in Gaza; there is enough food for the coming weeks; this is in addition to the supply of medicines, of which, as far as we know, there is no shortage in the hospitals," he added.

He also said that Hamas is still trying to prevent people from moving south.

Meanwhile, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a press conference that food, water, and medical aid will enter the southern part of Gaza through Egypt's Rafah crossing, while fuel is still not allowed to enter Gaza.

"Fuel will not enter Gaza," Hagari said.

Hagari added that the IDF "will continue strikes on Hamas strongholds in northern Gaza."

This dire situation in Gaza was underscored by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a statement on Thursday, stating that over 60 per cent of primary care facilities are currently closed and Gaza's hospitals are on the brink of collapse. This crisis is primarily due to severe shortages of power, medicine, medical equipment, and specialised personnel, CNN reported.

Conditions in Gaza are worsening by the hour amid fears of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, and multiple rights groups are warning of the deadly consequences of ongoing shortages in the Gaza Strip and appealing for vital supplies to be allowed through the Rafah crossing.

The ongoing Israeli airstrikes have forced seven hospitals and 21 primary healthcare centres in Gaza to become "out of service." Additionally, 64 medical staff members have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict, CNN quoted a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health as saying on Friday.

Over 3000 tonnes of humanitarian aid have begun entering Gaza as the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened on Saturday for the first time since the horrific attack on Israel by Hamas.

More than 200 trucks carrying roughly 3,000 tonnes of aid, which had been positioned near the crossing for days, began heading into Gaza. The Egyptian state television also showed several trucks entering the gate, The Times of Israel reported.

Meanwhile, a day ago, upon his arrival at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza in the northern Sinai of Egypt, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the reporters that the large convoy loaded with food and medicine was "the difference between life and death for the people," as per UN News.

"For nearly two weeks, Gaza has gone without any shipments of fuel, food, water, or medicine. The UN is focusing all its efforts on a sustained operation to deliver critical humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," the UN spokesperson said in a post on social media.