Humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows dire as safe havens run scarce

As Israel widens its offensive, tens of thousands of Palestinians are fleeing to the territory’s southern edge where shelters are overflowing and humanitarian conditions grow increasingly dire.

The Israeli Prime Minister said their forces surrounded the home of the leader of Hamas in Gaza and that it was only a matter of time before he was captured.

However, it is unclear whether he was actually there.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said that the military had breached Hamas defence lines in Gaza’s second largest city of Khan Younis and that forces have been involved in a fierce battle since Tuesday.

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The United Nations is reporting that 1.87 million people, more than 80 per cent of Gaza’s population, have been driven from their homes.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says there is no safe haven for civilians, not even in UN shelters or Israeli designated “safe zones.”

Meanwhile, the US and a humanitarian organization say that Israel should be doing more to assist with the flow of aid into Gaza.

Fifty trucks carrying Humanitarian aid entered the territory Wednesday, however, the UN has reported that around 455 trucks were crossing into Gaza each day before the war began.

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“We’ve seen the Israeli government promote on their Twitter accounts that they are helping with the humanitarian response, that they are helping with the delivery of aid. That’s not true.” says Shaina Low of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“They have restricted the amount of aid that’s been able to go in. They have refused to open their crossings which are more suitable for the crossings of goods and have the equipment needed to do effective and quick scanning of those goods to ensure that aid is going in.”

Since the violence broke out on Oct. 7, the UN says that more than 80 of its facilities sheltering civilians have been struck directly or indirectly and that these incidents must be investigated.