UN humanitarians say first fuel in 130 days allowed into Gaza but much more needed

United Nations, July 11 (IANS) The first batch of fuel in more than four months allowed into Gaza provides only a dent in the needs of the fuel-starved, from hospitals to water systems, UN humanitarians said.

The 75,000 liters of fuel Israeli authorities allowed a UN team to bring into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday was not enough to even meet one day's fuel requirements, estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of liters, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Fuel is still running out in the strip, and services will shut down if far greater volumes do not enter immediately," OCHA said. "One partner, for instance, reported this week that in a matter of days, fuel shortages could cut off supplies of clean drinking water to about 44,000 children supported by its team in Gaza. This would further increase the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery."

However, fuel is only one of so many problems when death, destruction and displacement are being reported daily, as hopes for a possible ceasefire remain on the horizon.

UNICEF reported that 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, who were waiting for children's nutritional supplements, were reportedly killed during an attack in Deir al-Balah on Thursday. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said 30 others, including 19 children, were injured, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The killing of families trying to access life-saving aid is unconscionable," Russell said. "These were mothers seeking a lifeline for their children after months of hunger and deprivation."

OCHA said that parties to conflict are bound by international humanitarian law to prevent such excessive death and injury of civilians. All parties must take all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize civilian harm, and indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited, it said.

The office said another airstrike reportedly hit the office of a humanitarian partner in Gaza City, killing three staff members.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that from the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023 to the end of June this year, more than 740 attacks affected 125 health facilities in Gaza, including 34 damaged hospitals and 188 ambulances.

The WHO said more than 485,000 people suffer from mental health disorders in Gaza, and at least 500,000 women of reproductive age lack access to essential services, including pre- and postnatal care, family planning, and management of sexually transmitted infections.

OCHA said its partners providing educational services reported that between October 2023 and June 2025, 626 temporary learning spaces were established in Gaza, with 240,000 students enrolled, about half of whom are girls. However, only 299 spaces are currently operational due to displacement orders, funding shortfalls and other challenges.

The office said that the spaces can accommodate 113,000 students and 3,250 teachers, providing them with continuity of education and some physical protection.

OCHA first responders, health workers and aid workers continue to deliver food and other assistance under intolerable conditions, while personally facing hunger, water scarcity and threats to their safety, just like everyone else in Gaza.

"This catastrophic situation must end," said the office. "A ceasefire is not just urgent, it is long overdue."

In the West Bank, OCHA said it continues to warn of the intensification of operations by Israeli forces in northern areas, which are causing massive destruction, driving further humanitarian needs and dampening hopes of thousands of displaced families to go back home.

The office said that attacks, harassment and intimidation by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have become a daily reality, including a settler attack on July 3 that led to the displacement of the Al Mu'arrajat East Bedouin community in the central West Bank.

"Children in this community risk losing access to education, as settlers raided the community school, ransacked property and sprayed anti-Palestinian graffiti," OCHA said. "The school, which previously served more than 70 students and has been under threat of demolition for years, now stands empty."

The humanitarian office said the community is the ninth to be entirely displaced in the Ramallah and Jericho areas since January 2023, following recurrent attacks by Israeli settlers. Another four communities in the region are at high risk of displacement due to recurrent settler attacks and access restrictions.

--IANS

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