Gaza rescue teams paralyzed by fuel crisis, death toll mounts
20 were reported missing in an Israeli airstrike on two homes in Jabalia al-Nazla, northern Gaza Strip, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
Injuries were reported from Israeli drone fire near the Public Security Junction in western Gaza City.Four were killed in Israeli shelling on the neighborhoods of Bani Suheila, Sheikh Nasser, and al-Balad in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.
Read more: 26 Palestinians killed in latest wave of Israeli bombings on Gaza
Two were killed in an afternoon Israeli strike targeting aid seekers in western Gaza City. Another strike on the northwest of Gaza City killed four.
Earlier today, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that hospitals received the bodies of 59 martyrs, including nine retrieved from under the rubble, and 208 injuries over 24 hours. Many victims remain trapped beneath debris and along roads, unreachable due to continued bombardment.
Since October 7, 2023, as of June 16, 2025, the death toll of the Israeli genocide in Gaza has surged to 57,882 Palestinians killed and 138,095 injured.
Since March 18, 2025, the total toll has risen to 7,311 killed and 26,054 wounded.
Moreover, as the Israeli-made famine looms over Gaza, 17 starved Palestinians were killed since early morning and over 53 were injured while trying to receive aid at designated "aid distribution sites" and were later transported to hospitals, as per the Ministry's report.
The death toll among Palestinians killed while seeking food aid in designated distribution zones has now climbed to 805, with more than 5,252 others wounded, according to the report.
The United Nations issued a stark warning on Saturday, stating that fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip have reached "critical levels", exacerbating the suffering in the war-torn Palestinian territory.
Seven UN agencies, in a joint statement, emphasized that "fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza," essential for powering hospitals, water and sanitation systems, ambulances, and all aspects of humanitarian efforts. They also highlighted the importance of fuel for bakeries, which are crucial for food production.
Gaza has been grappling with severe fuel shortages since the Israeli occupation has unleashed its brutal siege and aggression on the strip, with the situation becoming more dire now than ever as UN agencies, including the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, and OCHA, warn that the fuel crisis has reached critical levels.
"After almost two years of war, people in Gaza are facing extreme hardships, including widespread food insecurity," the agencies said. "When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation."
The UN further stated that without sufficient fuel, humanitarian organizations working in Gaza, where large swaths have been devastated by Israeli airstrikes and famine threats loom, will likely be forced to cease operations entirely.
"Without fuel, bakeries and community kitchens cannot operate. Water production and sanitation systems will shut down, leaving families without safe drinking water, while solid waste and sewage pile up in the streets," the statement added.
"These conditions expose families to deadly disease outbreaks and push Gaza's most vulnerable even closer to death," the agencies warned.
This alert follows the UN's recent achievement of delivering fuel to Gaza for the first time in 130 days. While it was a "welcome development", the agencies emphasized that the 75,000 liters of fuel brought in represent only a fraction of the needed fuel to maintain essential services and humanitarian operations.
"The United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners cannot overstate the urgency of this moment," the UN agencies and their humanitarian partners stated.
"Fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and consistently to sustain life-saving operations."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LBCI
35 minutes ago
- LBCI
Syria, Israel agree to further talks on de-escalating conflict: Ekhbariya TV
Syrian and Israeli officials agreed to meet again after no final accord was reached in U.S.-mediated talks in Paris on de-escalating the conflict in southern Syria, state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Saturday, citing a diplomatic source. The source described the dialogue as "honest and responsible," in the first confirmation from the Syrian side that talks had taken place. On Friday, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said officials from both countries spoke about de-escalating the situation in Syria during the talks on Thursday. Representatives from the Syrian foreign ministry and intelligence officials were in attendance, Syria's Ekhbariya reported. Reuters
L'Orient-Le Jour
39 minutes ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Syrian delegation met with Israeli officials in Paris
A Syrian delegation, composed of officials from the Foreign Ministry and Intelligence Services, met with Israeli officials in Paris during a U.S.-mediated meeting to discuss recent security developments and efforts to contain the escalation in southern Syria, Reuters reported Saturday, citing a diplomatic source interviewed by Syria's state-run Ekhbariya TV. According to Reuters, the Syrian delegation rejected any 'illegitimate' foreign presence on Syrian territory. While the meeting did not result in any final agreement, the parties agreed to hold further discussions in the coming days to evaluate steps for maintaining stability in southern Syria. French and Syrian foreign ministers Jean-Noel Barrot and Assaad al-Chibani, along with U.S. envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, also met Friday in Paris to discuss the situation in the country. Syria, now governed by the transitional authorities led by Islamist Ahmad al-Sharaa — who took power following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 — continues to experience frequent intercommunal violence. The most recent clashes between Druze and Sunni Bedouin communities left more than 1,300 people dead between July 13 and 20 in the south. Relations between the transitional government and various minority groups remain a concern for parts of the international community.
L'Orient-Le Jour
39 minutes ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Gaza aid airdrops ‘ineffective,' says UNRWA chief
The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said Saturday that the renewed airdrops of humanitarian aid over Gaza are an 'ineffective' measure in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe devastating the Palestinian territory. 'Airdrops will not stop the deepening famine. They are expensive, ineffective, and can even kill starving civilians,' Lazzarini wrote on X. He heads the agency, which plays a major role in the Gaza Strip. On Friday, an Israeli official told AFP that humanitarian airdrops would soon resume in Gaza, with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan coordinating the operations. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated further, with international organizations warning of a sharp rise in child malnutrition. 'A man-made famine can only be resolved through political will,' Lazzarini said. Without directly blaming Israel, he called for the United Nations to be allowed to operate 'at scale and without obstacles' in Gaza. Israel is facing increasing international pressure over the dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory. In late May, it slightly eased a total blockade that had been imposed in early March, which had caused severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential goods. In a statement released Friday, the Israeli army said that 'Israel does not limit the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip,' and claimed that 'international humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies' are failing to collect aid once it enters the territory. However, numerous humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza have for months reported facing constraints and restrictions that effectively prevent them from responding to the humanitarian crisis — including limitations on the types of goods allowed in and burdensome administrative requirements. Yet, according to NGOs and many testimonies collected by AFP on the ground, the needs in Gaza are overwhelming. COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said Saturday that 600 truckloads of aid were waiting to be offloaded by international organizations. The United Arab Emirates, Jordan, France, and other countries had taken part in airdrops of humanitarian aid over Gaza in 2024. These operations have at times been criticized — not only due to deaths caused by falling packages, but also because they require complex logistics to deliver a limited volume of aid. Parachutage d'aide à Gaza: « inefficace » pour le chef de l'Unrwa
