Enas Hamdan, the media officer for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), announced that Israel has turned down an urgent request from the agency to evacuate individuals trapped under the rubble in the northern Gaza Strip.

This rejection comes amid reports of a worsening humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by ongoing military operations in the region.

In statements made earlier Monday, Hamdan emphasized the dire conditions faced by civilians in northern Gaza, highlighting the increasing severity of famine and the policy of ethnic cleansing affecting the local population. “Over the past two weeks, we have repeatedly warned that the tightening of the siege on Jabalia and the northern governorate is making the situation even more catastrophic,” she stated. “The ongoing Israeli military operations are putting tens of thousands of civilians in imminent danger.”

Hamdan further noted that the military offensive has cut off essential supplies, including water, to those in northern Gaza. “Jabalia camp has been under siege for more than two weeks, and we are receiving information about families trapped in their homes, with water and food running out,” she said. The UN official described distressing images from the camp, showing residents fleeing for their lives with no safe place to seek refuge.

UNRWA continues to call for urgent international attention to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in northern Gaza and the need for immediate assistance to those affected by the ongoing violence. (ILKHA)