UN sounds alarm over Gaza humanitarian collapse amid Israeli blockade
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The UN urges a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as Israeli orders force mass civilian displacement, women face dire conditions, and humanitarian aid is crippled.
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Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution center operated by the US-backed organization in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP)
The United Nations confirmed that its Charter and international law are being repeatedly violated by some member states, particularly in the context of the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and other crises.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told the Jordanian news agency Petra that states must believe in and implement the commitments they themselves have signed.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, condemning recent attacks that have struck areas sheltering displaced Palestinians and those seeking food.
In a statement conveyed by Dujarric, Guterres highlighted that in a single day this week, Israeli relocation orders forced nearly 30,000 Palestinians to flee with no safe refuge and critical shortages of shelter, food, medicine, and water.
"International humanitarian law is unambiguous: civilians must be respected and protected, and the needs of the population need to be met," he stressed.
Read more: US contractors confirm; Gazans are being targeted at aid sites: AP
Last lifelines for survival 'being cut off'
With fuel barred from entering Gaza for over 17 weeks, Guterres said he is "gravely concerned that the last lifelines for survival are being cut off."
He explained that without immediate fuel access, hospitals will lose incubators, ambulances won’t function, and water cannot be purified, adding that the limited humanitarian aid still being delivered by the UN and partners risks grinding to a complete halt.
The UN chief reiterated his call for full, safe, and sustained humanitarian access, emphasizing that the UN has a comprehensive, proven plan rooted in humanitarian principles to deliver aid safely and effectively to all civilians in need.
The Secretary-General renewed his call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and the unconditional release of all captives held in Gaza.
Read more: UN: Gaza health system facing systematic, deliberate destruction
Shrinking space for civilians, mounting displacement
In a related context, Dujarric noted that the area available for civilians in Gaza continues to shrink daily. He recalled that on Thursday, Israeli authorities issued a new displacement order targeting parts of Gaza City, where an estimated 40,000 people lived, including one displacement center, one medical point, and a neighborhood previously untouched by evacuation orders. About 900 families have reportedly fled since the order.
The UN spokesperson cited an OCHA report, which noted that since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March, over 50 such orders have been issued, covering approximately 78% of Gaza.
He added that when Israeli-militarized zones are factored in, this figure rises to 85%, leaving only 15% of the territory theoretically habitable for civilians.
Dujarric noted that these areas are dangerously overcrowded and lack basic infrastructure, likening Gaza's condition to housing over 2 million people in a space the size of Manhattan, reduced to rubble and devoid of support systems, while remaining zones are fragmented and unsafe.
Menstruation has become a 'nightmare'
The UN official also cited a UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report, which emphasized that menstruation has become a “nightmare” for an estimated 700,000 women and girls in Gaza due to the absence of water, soap, menstrual pads, and privacy.
While nearly 170 truckloads of supplies are ready, they remain barred from entering the Strip, he mentioned.
479 aid workers killed since Oct. 2023
Meanwhile, OCHA confirmed that nine more aid workers from five different organizations were killed since last Thursday, bringing the 2025 total to 107 and the overall toll since October 2023 to 479, including 326 UN personnel, Dujarric said.
Hindered aid
Touching on humanitarian aid, Dujarric said that in June, out of nearly 400 coordination attempts to deliver aid or carry out critical operations, 44% were outright denied by Israeli authorities, 10% were obstructed, 33% were facilitated, and 12% were canceled due to operational challenges.
He pointed out that just yesterday, four out of 16 coordination attempts were denied, hindering medical supply relocation and debris removal.
