The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of total collapse as the Israeli occupation continues its genocidal war and maintains a criminal siege on the Palestinian territory.

In a statement released on Friday, the ICRC cautioned that without the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries, it will no longer have access to the food, medicines, and life-saving supplies needed to sustain many of its vital programs in Gaza.

Pascal Hundt, ICRC Deputy Director of Operations, said the Gaza humanitarian crisis is deteriorating rapidly due to the ongoing bombing campaign and blockade against Gaza.

“Civilians in Gaza are facing an overwhelming daily struggle to survive the dangers of hostilities, cope with relentless displacement, and endure the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance,” he said. “This situation must not, and cannot, be allowed to escalate further.”

ICJ wraps up hearings on 'Israel's' blockade

Last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) began a week-long series of hearings to assess "Israel's" humanitarian obligations in Gaza, which has endured over 50 days under a total blockade halting all aid. Prompted by a UN General Assembly resolution, the proceedings opened with a Palestinian submission, followed by arguments from 38 countries, including the US, China, and Russia, as well as blocs such as the Arab League and the African Union.

The ICJ is expected to issue an advisory opinion on whether "Israel" is breaching international law by obstructing humanitarian access. The blockade, in place since March 2, has triggered severe shortages and a growing risk of famine.

On April 27, UNRWA reported its flour reserves in Gaza had been fully depleted, with the World Food Programme also confirming it had run out of food supplies. Nearly 3,000 aid trucks remain stranded at closed crossings. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned that children in Gaza are “starving,” describing the siege as “manmade and politically motivated.”

The hearings unfold amid mounting international pressure on "Israel" to lift the blockade and allow life-saving aid into the besieged enclave, home to 2.4 million Palestinians.

Mounting casualties amid siege and bombings

The Israeli regime began its brutal onslaught on Gaza on October 7, 2023, but has so far failed to achieve its declared objectives, despite killing at least 52,418 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring more than 118,091 others.

A temporary ceasefire had gone into effect on January 19, after the Israeli occupation accepted long-standing negotiation terms proposed by the Hamas resistance group. However, the occupation unilaterally ended the truce on March 2, halting all humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, resuming deadly airstrikes, and redeploying troops to the territory.

On Friday, "Israel" intensified its aerial assaults across Gaza, killing at least 22 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes, according to the latest reports.

One Israeli airstrike hit a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing seven members of the same family. In another attack on Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, two more Palestinians were killed and several others wounded.

As the Gaza siege continues and humanitarian operations collapse, international organizations are warning of an impending catastrophe for the civilian population.