OCHA in a statement on Thursday said that in the past two weeks, “more than 19,000 cases of acute watery diarrhoea have been recorded, alongside over 200 cases each of acute jaundice syndrome and bloody diarrhoea “.

“These outbreaks are directly linked to the lack of clean water and sanitation in Gaza, underscoring the urgent need for fuel, medical supplies, and water, sanitation and hygiene items to prevent further collapse of the public health system,” the agency added.

Israel’s blockade on fuel entry into Gaza has paralysed the territory’s desalination plants and water system.

The Israeli military has destroyed much of Gaza, displaced nearly the entire population of the territory and placed a suffocating siege on the enclave. Besides the dire humanitarian conditions, the Israeli military continues to kill dozens of Palestinians in Gaza daily.

Leading rights groups and UN experts have described the Israeli campaign as a genocide.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, at least 56,259 people have been killed, and 132,458 others have been wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

After a more than two-month blockade of essential goods entering Gaza, the Israeli government announced it was allowing aid to re-enter the enclave in May.

However, due to Israeli restrictions, the amount of aid entering has been minimal, with aid agencies referring to it as a “drop in the ocean”.

Thursday’s summit noted a report issued last week by the bloc’s diplomatic service, which found that Israel was likely flouting human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association agreement. Yet, the bloc stopped short of acting on the assessment or ditching the 25-year-old accord.

“The European Council calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages, leading to a permanent end to hostilities,” the EU announced in a statement.

Amid growing accusations – backed by rights groups and United Nations experts – that Israel is starving people in Gaza, the EU ordered a review of its association agreement with Israel in May. The assessment, sent to member states last week, was restricted.

But several media outlets quoted informed diplomats as saying that the findings highlighted Israel’s blockade on Gaza, the killing of civilians, attacks on hospitals and mass displacement of Palestinians in the territory, as well as the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

With a growing chasm between countries critical of Israeli abuses, such as Ireland and Spain, and Israel-backers Germany and Hungary, the summit’s conclusions on Thursday featured an attenuated statement that deplored “the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation” in Gaza.

It postponed “discussions on a follow-up” to the report until next month.

The timid statement came despite a push by Spain and Ireland to suspend the EU-Israel agreement, which was signed in 2000 and underpins trade ties between the two entities.

Gaza’s Government Media Office announced on Thursday that at least 549 Palestinians had been killed near GHF sites since it began operations one month ago. The war has killed 56,156 people in total, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

EU leaders called on Israel to lift its blockade on Gaza “to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance” to Gaza.

They also condemned the escalation in the West Bank, noting “increased settler violence” and “the expansion of illegal settlements”.

The EU remains Israel’s largest trade partner.

The poll, conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute, found that 57% of Israelis think Hamas rule in Gaza will continue, even if it rebrands itself. Only 30% believe the group will be fully dismantled.

Among Israeli Arabs, 41% believe Hamas will remain as it is, while 27% think it will persist under a new name. Just 15% said they expect Hamas to be ousted entirely, Israel’s Channel 7 reported.

Among Jewish Israelis, 53% said Hamas will stay in power in some form, compared to 34% who believe it will be fully removed.

The survey also found that 47% of Israelis expect Israel will maintain control over parts of Gaza for several months, while 33% think Israel will control the entire enclave for at least a few years.

When asked whether Gaza residents are likely to leave the territory voluntarily, 59% of respondents said most will remain, while only 14% expected large-scale departures.

However, over one-quarter of right-wing voters predicted that most Gazans would leave within two to three years. Additionally, 42% of right-wing voters estimated that more than a quarter of the population would eventually depart. By contrast, 96% of left-wing voters believed most residents would stay, with only minor departures.

On the controversial issue of Israeli resettlement in Gaza, 63% of respondents said they do not believe Israel will re-establish Jewish settlements there. Still, 28% said they expect Israel to resume settlement activity, either near the border or deeper inside the territory.

Commenting on the results, Professor Yedidia Stern, head of the Jewish People Policy Institute, stated that the findings reflect a shift in public perception.

“The results reveal an Israeli public that still supports military operations but is increasingly skeptical about achieving its stated objectives,” Stern added.

“There are growing doubts over the possibility of toppling Hamas and an assumption that Israel will remain entangled in Gaza for the foreseeable future. These results highlight the need to reassess not just military strategy but also the broader political and psychological consequences unfolding on the ground.”

Channel 7 did not provide the number who participated in the poll.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 56,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.