Gaza death toll from Israeli attacks tops 24,000

“The Israeli occupation (forces) committed 12 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 132 casualties and 252 injuries over the past 24 hours,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to the United Nations, 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.

Three major UN agencies involved in relief works in Gaza on Monday called for faster and safer aid access to the besieged enclave via more supply routes.

In a joint statement, UNICEF, the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said: “As the risk of famine grows, and more people are exposed to deadly disease outbreaks, a fundamental step change in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza is urgently needed.”

The agencies warned that the shortage of food, clean water, and medical assistance is particularly “severe” in the northern areas and noted the UN, international aid agencies and non-governmental organizations have so far managed to deliver limited humanitarian assistance.

“People in Gaza risk dying of hunger just miles from trucks filled with food,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain.

“Every hour lost puts countless lives at risk. We can keep famine at bay but only if we can deliver sufficient supplies and have safe access to everyone in need, wherever they are,” McCain added.

The UN agencies also reiterated the call for a humanitarian cease-fire “to enable this vitally important roll-out of a massive, multi-agency humanitarian operation.”