Tag: Palestine

Islamic Relief is horrified at the massacre of dozens of civilians at one of the school shelters where we have been distributing daily hot meals to displaced families.  

The Devastation of the Assault

The attack at al-Tabeen school in Gaza City on August 10th, 2024 has been the deadliest on a school shelter yet. Witnesses report 80-100 people killed and many more injured.

During the assault, Israeli missiles tore through the school’s classrooms and prayer room during dawn Fajr prayers. Around 2,000 young children, women, and men had been sheltering at the school. Forcibly displaced after the Israeli military ordered them to leave their homes.

The nearest hospital is overwhelmed with casualties. Many are badly burnt or bleeding severely from shrapnel wounds. Worse still, the hospital does not have the medical supplies to treat them all. 

Another Shelter Bombed in Gaza

We are horrified, but, sadly, we are no longer shocked by such massacres. Israel continues to bomb people’s shelters almost daily. All with complete impunity and disregard for international law. 85% of all schools in Gaza (477 out of 564) have now been damaged by bombing.

The school is one of many across Gaza where Islamic Relief and partner agencies have been providing daily cooked meals to families. These meals are often the only ones they get to eat each day, as famine conditions and starvation have spread.

Islamic Relief has also conducted psychosocial activities such as games and entertainment for displaced children at the school. No Islamic Relief staff or partners were present at the time of the bombing.

No Safe Place in Gaza

This latest massacre brings the death toll in Gaza to almost 40,000 Palestinians, with around 92,000 injured. An astounding 1 in every 17 people in Gaza has now been killed or wounded. This is in just over 10 months. And every single person in Gaza is affected.

Tens of thousands more people have been ordered to move yet again over the past few days. The Israeli military is herding people into small areas that are now extremely overcrowded and rife with starvation and disease. Many families have now been displaced 9 or 10 times over the past 10 months and the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza has reduced to little more than a trickle.

The international community has completely failed the people of Gaza. World leaders must use all the pressure they can to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the constant forced displacement and attacks on fleeing civilians, and ensure accountability for such actions.

We are appalled at yet another deadly massacre at a school in central Gaza where desperate families have been ordered to shelter.   

Reports indicate that at least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured at the school in Deir al Balah, with infant children among the dead and hospitals swamped with casualties. Such atrocities against civilians have become almost daily occurrences in Gaza.  

Israel’s policy of constantly forcing civilians to move from one place to another, and then attacking the schools and camps where they are told to go, is inhumane and causing unprecedented death and trauma. It is making the humanitarian crisis even more catastrophic by the day. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to move time and again over the past few weeks, with many families now displaced 9 or 10 times since the crisis escalated.  

Around 83% of Gaza is now subject to Israeli so-called ‘evacuation orders’ or no-go military zones. Over 2 million people have been forced into ever smaller areas where they cannot access food, clean water or sanitation, and where they face the constant threat of further attack.  

International governments must demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the constant forced displacement and attacks on fleeing civilians, and ensure accountability for such actions.  

Today, we received extremely sad news from our orphan sponsorship team. Mohammad Bhar, the young man in Gaza, who was recently killed by Israeli military dogs, was one of the orphans in the care of Islamic Relief. 

As it turns out, Mohammed has been part of our orphan sponsorship program since he was young.

On behalf, and along with the entire Islamic Relief family, I am utterly heartbroken. We are appalled at the horrific nature of his killing, which is shocking even amidst the daily atrocities in Gaza.

We are calling for an independent international investigation into his death, and for all responsible to be held accountable.  

Mohammad, 24, was killed during Israel’s recent attack on the Shujaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City, where he and his family lived. 

His mother, Nabila, told Islamic Relief that Israeli soldiers forced their way into the family’s home.

Mohammed had Down syndrome and autism. He barely spoke. But when the military dog started mauling a terrified Mohammad, tearing at his body, he screamed in agony and pleaded for the attack to stop. 

With Mohammad severely bleeding, the Israeli soldiers moved him to another room on his own. Despite the fact that his illness meant that his family was usually with him for support at all times. 

The soldiers refused to allow Mohammad’s mother or sister to enter the room to comfort him or bring him water. Shortly afterwards, they forced them to leave the house at gunpoint while he was still alive. 

Mohammad was left alone in the dark room, critically wounded, scared and thirsty, until he died. 

His body was only recovered a week later. When the Israeli military withdrew, allowing his family and neighbours to rush to the house to find his remains.  

There are no words that convey our shock, sadness, and how appalled we are. 

We complain to Allah, and say Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon. 

After so many months of atrocities, it is hard to be shocked any more by news from Gaza. But the killing of Mohammad reached new depths of horror. One that has left everyone at Islamic Relief utterly heartbroken. 

We can only imagine the fear and panic that Mohammad must have felt as he died. Alone, wounded and without his family beside him. All our prayers are with Mohammad’s family and friends.

There must be accountability for such acts. There must be an immediate ceasefire to finally bring the massacre in Gaza to an end.

An Islamic Relief staff member in Gaza recalls: “Mohammad was a familiar face in the neighbourhood, known for his kind smile and helpful nature. He was suffering from Down’s syndrome and autism and had special needs all his life, so his mother took care of every detail of his life, from feeding him to dressing him.” 

Mohammad’s father died when Mohammad was just 2 years old. Since then, he and his mother have received support through Islamic Relief’s orphan sponsorship program for over 20 years.

During Israel’s attacks over the past 9 months, the family has been forcibly displaced from their home multiple times, like most families in Gaza.  

The orphan sponsorship program provides regular cash payments to help vulnerable families pay for healthcare, education, shelter and other essentials.

Islamic Relief currently sponsors 15,700 orphaned children and youth in Gaza. Sponsorship begins when children are under 18 years old. However, they can be continued later while they remain in school or if they are particularly vulnerable, as in the case of Mohammed.

At least 117 children and young people cared for by our Orphan Sponsorship Program are known to have been killed during Israel’s attack on Gaza over the past 9 months.

We ask Allah (SWT) to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s children, orphans, and people more generally. Ya rabb, lift this barbarity, and replace it with victory and peace for our people. 

—Samir Bennegadi, Islamic Relief Australia CEO

Today’s International Court of Justice ruling that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful sends a clear message that the occupation must end. No state must be above international law, and we hope this landmark ruling will be a step towards ending injustice and fulfilling the inalienable rights of Palestinians.

The Israeli occupation denies Palestinians their fundamental human rights, undermines their dignity and entrenches discrimination and poverty. Israel’s massive expansion of settlements and associated infrastructure in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has confiscated land and restricted access to markets, farms and essential services. The occupation separates families and loved ones, cuts off Gaza from the West Bank, and impedes the hopes and dreams of future generations.

We call on all international governments to heed the ICJ’s ruling and use their political, diplomatic and financial leverage to pressure Israel to end its occupation. This includes halting arms sales that could be used in violation of international law, legislating to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and suspending partnership agreements.

Ultimately, Islamic Relief wants to see a lasting peace where all Palestinians and Israelis can live in safety and dignity, and have their same fundamental rights upheld and protected. We believe this will not be possible until there is an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

“People bombed as they pray and aid workers fleeing for their lives.” An Islamic Relief colleague* in Gaza describes the struggle to cling to hope as the death toll rises still further. 

I do not know the number of deaths today. But I am sure the death toll has risen again.

Earlier in this crisis, people talked loudly about the devastation inflicted on Palestine. But, now, those voices are quieter, and only silence greets the growing death toll. 

We Palestinians feel we have been left behind. We feel alone. That our lives are seen as less valuable than others.

We feel exhausted by this brutal war. We have had enough.

As people of faith, we always thank Allah. But we are sincerely praying for an end to this. Everyone has sustained their share of loss, injury, death, and displacement. Nobody can tolerate any more.  

We need an end to this war.  

I know my words reach only a small audience, but I hope you can spread the echo of my cry for help. My plea for everyone in the world to call for an end to the war.

Please, my readers, do what you can to stop this madness.  

Islamic Relief colleagues forced to flee for their lives 

I am writing these words after hearing about a new airstrike in Khan Younis that killed around 100 displaced people. People who had been living in tents after losing their homes, their loved ones, and their livelihoods.

When they were ordered to evacuate their homes, they did. When they were expected to do without proper food, water, and sanitation, they did.

The international community said they would protect them. Yet, they did not.  

This strike comes just a couple of days after an Israeli land operation in Gaza City’s Tal Al Hawa and Al Remal neighbourhoods.

I’d spoken with colleagues in the city to plan media coverage of Islamic Relief’s work there. The team had just settled and started operating again, but in the blink of an eye, they had to run for their lives, not knowing where to go.  

It was difficult to reach my colleagues by phone, but I finally got through. 

“I have to return to my house, despite the destruction,” one colleague told me, describing his efforts to remove rubble from his apartment. “We do not have water. The sewage network is destroyed. There is no electricity. I am trying to make one room suitable to sleep in.” 

He told me that most of the things in his home are damaged, and his clothes have either been stolen or torn by explosives. I heard that his children are trying to find a safe spot to stay the night. I do not think he is okay.

We used to have great times together in his house. His wife made wonderful mahshy. We enjoyed the spicy stuffed vegetables when he invited us for dinner. But now I’m sure they can barely eat.  

How many more bodies until this nightmare ends? 

I ask myself, why is this happening to us? What have we done? We were just trying to live a normal life: I wanted to learn to swim. I planned to lose weight. I liked reading novels – I wonder what happened to the bookshop?

Why must we live in this hell? Is it just because we are Palestinians? What if we were suffering not at Israel’s hands, but another’s? Would the world take the same position? Would the world accept the killing?  

I read that Israel targeted a place of prayer set up by young people next to a ruined mosque in Gaza City. They spread rugs, added Qur’ans, and prayed. 15 of them were killed performing Al Duhr (noon) prayer.  

I have no more words.  

Maimed by sorrow and loss 

We Palestinians are maimed by the sorrow and loss that we endure. How many more deaths do we need to stop this war? How many more beheaded bodies of children and mass graves? What are you doing, my dear world? 

Alhamdulillah, all my Islamic Relief colleagues in Gaza in the south and the north are ok. But who knows for how much longer: at any moment, we could become the next casualties of this crisis.

We go to work every day, leaving our children and our families, risking our lives to help vulnerable people survive. We try our best to help, although the ecosystem around us is barely functioning.  

My young son now wants to come to work with me on a daily basis, because he is afraid to leave my side. Losing a child or another family member is one of my worst fears. I can’t imagine that life. I do not want to think of this. 

My mental health is poor. I do not know what to say anymore; I am not thinking straight.

The scenes that confront me every day are sucking the life from me. If these are my last words to you, please tell the world our story.

Tell of the Palestinians who loved life. Who taught resilience. Who just hoped to live simple, normal lives.  

*This blog is anonymised to protect the safety and security of our colleague and others mentioned. Read the other blogs in this series here. 

Editor’s note: This blog was submitted amid a fast-changing and deepening crisis. The information was correct as of Monday 15 July 2024. 

Israel is systematically starving Palestinians in Gaza, Islamic Relief reports. A new IPC* report shows that around half a million people are suffering catastrophic levels of hunger. Furthermore, almost everyone in Gaza is facing acute food shortages.

An entire generation of Palestinian children is at risk. Extreme hunger and malnutrition cause permanent damage to children. Conditions such as stunted physical and cognitive development will affect them for the rest of their lives.

Hunger Intensifies in Gaza

The IPC report confirms what Islamic Relief staff and partners in Gaza are seeing every day. Hundreds of thousands of people going entire days and nights without anything to eat at all. Young children and elderly people, especially, are the most vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition.

This hunger crisis is entirely man-made, caused by Israel’s ongoing attacks and blockade. Virtually all of Gaza’s internal food production has been wiped out. Nowhere near enough humanitarian aid is being allowed in. Israel continues to restrict entry of supplies into Gaza and movement of aid convoys within Gaza.

Israel’s assault on Rafah has fuelled starvation even further. Around 1 million people are forced to flee yet again and families are bombed while seeking aid and shelter. In the past day, more civilians have reportedly been killed for seeking refuge in a school and trying to reach aid trucks.

The new IPC report shows that the brief improvement in food security in March and April – when there was a small increase in aid allowed to enter and more food in the markets – is now being reversed, with fatal consequences.

A Call to Take Stronger Action

Islamic Relief urges international governments not to wait for an official famine declaration before taking stronger action. Aid agencies have been warning of famine for months, but official famine declarations are extremely rare and usually only come when it is too late. We do not need a famine announcement to know that Palestinians, especially young children, are starving and cannot access sufficient aid.

International initiatives like the sea pier and airdrops have been costly distractions while people starve. The only way to ensure people can access sufficient food is through a ceasefire and full unimpeded humanitarian access. International governments must use all the leverage and pressure they can to ensure that happens immediately.

Since the crisis erupted almost 9 months ago, Islamic Relief and partners have distributed more than 23 million ready-to-eat cooked meals to displaced people throughout Gaza and provided nutritional support to thousands of young children, pregnant women and new mothers, as well as other vital aid. However, much more is needed.

Image: Islamic Relief prepares and distributes ready-to-eat meals to children and families in Gaza.

*The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is the foremost hunger monitoring system, providing evidence-based analysis on food insecurity and malnutrition to inform emergency responses around the world. https://www.ipcinfo.org/

Islamic Relief is heartbroken to report that 117 children and young people cared for by our Orphan Sponsorship Program in Gaza are now known to have been killed.

In the last 8 months, more than 36,000 Palestinian people, including women and children, have been killed in Gaza. The grim death toll continues to rise as the crisis escalates. Islamic Relief’s team on the ground is doing all they can to deliver humanitarian aid – including through our Orphan Sponsorship Program.

We have rapidly expanded our sponsorship program, with the backing of generous Islamic Relief supporters worldwide. Now, we support over 14,000 orphans in Gaza.

The program provides financial support to thousands of the most vulnerable families. A feat possible thanks to our incredible colleagues in Gaza working tirelessly to support them despite the challenges.

With around 75% of Gaza’s population displaced, often repeatedly, telecommunications restricted, and travel dangerous, even keeping in touch with families for regular welfare checks is very hard.

Where an orphan’s whereabouts is now unknown, Islamic Relief social workers do everything they can to help locate them. But this can take a long time.

Often, the first clue that something is wrong is in the payment system. Families access their sponsorship money using an ATM card. If this money goes uncollected for a sustained period, then we check in on the family’s situation.

The team’s responsibilities now include going through a quarterly Ministry of Health list of the dead to identify any sponsored orphan or guardian that has been killed. We also work to confirm this information.

Sadly, we can now confirm the deaths of 64 sponsored children and young people, as well as 53 who the Orphan Sponsorship Program previously supported.

Sponsored children as young as 5 killed

Omar is the youngest sponsored child known to have died

When he was killed, Omar had recently turned 5. A very energetic little boy, he was always on the move. He loved being outside, playing, swinging, jumping, and riding his bike.

An adventurous spirit, he climbed everything and was a playful, happy, friendly, and fun child. Part of a loving, happy family, Omar lived with his mother, siblings, and grandparents in Gaza City.

His mother dreamed that Omar would become an engineer when he grew up.

Aysha died just a month after her 12th birthday

She had spent her last summer holiday at a summer camp, determined, as always, to live life to the fullest.

Described by her Islamic Relief social worker as a “friendly, brave and polite girl”, Aysha had been thriving at school and aspired to become a doctor. She also liked to read, draw, and paint.
She lived with her big family in Al Nusairat City. Since 2016, Aysha has been enrolled in Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Program.

Ayman loved football and gymnastics

He was a caring son, helping his mother, who had rheumatoid arthritis, with housework and shopping. He lived with her, as well as his stepfather and 2 siblings in a modest flat in Jabalia City.

Ayman dreamed of becoming a doctor. He had also been supported by the Islamic Relief Orphan Sponsorship Program for over a decade.

He was killed shortly after his 17th birthday.

Sajeda was living with her family in a flat in Middle City when the escalation began

8-year-old Sajeda was the youngest of 5 children. Known for her friendly and calm personality, she loved drawing, playing with dolls, and watching cartoons.

Her favourite subject at school was Arabic language. She too hoped to become a doctor one day.

She died alongside her mother.

Courageous and helpful Ahmed also died with his mother

The smart 11-year-old had lived in Gaza City with his mother. His hobbies included reading stories, watching cartoons, swimming and cycling.

His favourite subject was mathematics. He was also hoping to become a police officer or teacher in the future and was working to improve his school grades.

Islamic Relief had been sponsoring Ahmed since he was a baby.

Happy and friendly, Saly always had a ready smile

She enjoyed reading, dancing, taking photos and swimming. A university student, she looked forward to becoming a pharmacist.

She wanted to help provide for her mother and sister, Rawan, with whom she lived in a flat in Rafah City before the escalation.

She lost her life aged 21 years old.

Orphaned children left without guardians

Some 72 guardians of sponsored orphans are now known to have been killed. 21 died alongside their child. Others leave behind children grieving the loss of their only caregiver.

With 24 sponsored orphans left without a guardian, Islamic Relief is working to identify surviving relatives to take on the role of guardian and collect Islamic Relief sponsorship money to provide for the child.

Islamic Relief offices around the world are breaking the news to sponsors of the children and young people who have died.

Many of our incredible sponsors are agreeing to continue their sponsorship of the grief-stricken family for 6 to 12 months, to avoid adding to their hardship.

Wherever possible, we transfer sponsorship to a sibling, which means the family does not lose the support from the program. If that is not possible, we move the sponsorship to support another child newly enrolled on the Orphan Sponsorship Program.

We fear that the death toll of sponsored orphans and guardians may increase. The dire situation in Gaza has left many Palestinians missing or displaced multiple times. Many bodies have also not been recovered from the debris of destroyed buildings.

As we reflect on the sponsored children, young people and their guardians killed alongside tens of thousands of other Palestinians, Islamic Relief redoubles our efforts to press for action to end the suffering of ordinary families in Gaza.

We urge the Islamic Relief family – our supporters, volunteers, staff, and partners – to join us in calling on world leaders to bring about an immediate and lasting ceasefire.

There are no safe zones in Gaza as Israeli attacks on Rafah force hundreds of thousands of people to flee and threaten the delivery of new aid supplies. 

More than 150,000 people have fled Rafah in recent days. A further 300,000 people are affected by the evacuation orders as Israel’s attack on Rafah spreads and intensifies. 

Rafah and its border crossing are a lifeline to the people in the enclave where thousands have been killed. They are a hub of aid agency operations for people weeks away from widespread famine. Now this area too is facing destruction as the invasion escalates. 

The Israeli forces have been attacking Rafah with artillery, ground troops, demolition operations, and aerial bombardments. Violence is rapidly expanding. People in the city live in fear amid the attacks and threatened further invasion. 

Civilians who flee face even greater challenges

Many people are walking miles to search for shelter, carrying whatever possessions they can. Extremely vulnerable people including malnourished infants, elderly people, injured and sick patients, and people with severe disabilities are among those ordered to move.  

Most are now sheltering in horrific conditions, without adequate access to food, water or other essentials.  This includes the designated evacuation site of Al Mawasi. Israel claimed this site as a“safe” area. However, many evacuees are still subject to impending famine, lack of shelter, spread of disease, and scarce healthcare availability. 

Al Mawasi is a sandy area which is unsuitable for hosting large numbers of displaced people. It is not an ideal solution for housing the over 1.2 million people crammed into Rafah, many of them starving, injured or sick including women and children. 

The healthcare system in Gaza is also shutting down with only a third of Gaza’s hospitals partially functioning. The aid system has now moved into a new stage of fading, almost at the point of debilitation. Since last Sunday no aid has come into Gaza by land.  

Israel has sealed the Rafah border crossing which is a key entry point for delivery of humanitarian supplies and aid agencies are almost out of food and fuel in Gaza.

The Rafah invasion is amplifying the ongoing Israeli siege and the suffering 

An Islamic Relief staff member in Gaza says:  

“I feel like this is the end. It feels like we will all be either trapped and killed in Gaza, or we will all be forced out. People have stayed in Rafah thinking it’s safe and hoping that global pressure would stop an invasion. But now we are abandoned by the world and everyone feels betrayed and let down.  

“It’s an unimaginable scene, with tens of thousands of people looking for shelter. People are pale and thin, tired and afraid. There are children, women, elderly people and people with disabilities trying to flee in wheelchairs. Injured people have to leave the hospital with recent bandages and bloodstains. 

“In other parts of Gaza, the few bits of remaining land are now filling up with tents and shacks built of bits of wood and nylon.   

“No humanitarian assistance has entered since Israel took over the Rafah crossing and the Kerem Abu Salem crossing closed. Bakeries have stopped working because they don’t have fuel, so we don’t have bread. We don’t have any water supply as that also depends on fuel deliveries, so yesterday we had to pay $50 just to refill our tank. Cars have stopped, so people coming from Rafah to the Middle Area are either walking or packed into vans carrying hundreds of people.    

“Many people in Gaza are already suffering from famine, but now we are entering a new period of unprecedented hardship.”   

Islamic Relief strongly condemns Israel’s order for civilians to evacuate yet again and calls on world leaders who have repeatedly warned against an invasion of Rafah to urgently pressure Israel to stop its attack and ensure humanitarian aid can enter Gaza. 

We demand the Israeli government reopens the Rafah border crossing reestablishing this vital lifeline to people in Gaza. We call for an end to the invasion of Rafah. An immediate ceasefire to prevent more deaths across the enclave. 

Islamic Relief is appalled at the news that Israel has told over 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate Rafah. This will put many lives at even greater risk. People must not be forced to move yet again. 

People sheltering in eastern parts of Rafah on May 6, 2024, received messages saying the Israel military “is about to operate with great force” in the area. The order told civilians to evacuate to the so-called humanitarian zone of Al Mawasi “for your own safety”. Heavy bombing in Rafah overnight has reportedly killed many civilians, including several children.  

As we have seen over the past seven months, forcing so many people to move is impossible without serious humanitarian cost. People will inevitably die as a result of the evacuation. The sick and wounded, elderly people, newborn infants and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. They often cannot evacuate without support. 

The area where people have been ordered to move – al Mawasi – has been designated a so-called ‘safe humanitarian zone’. But it is not safe. Civilians sheltering there say they continue to face attacks and severe shortages of food, water and other vital aid. Forcing more people there will make the humanitarian crisis even worse.  

Islamic Relief reiterates that civilians must be protected regardless of whether they stay or leave Rafah. Ordering people to leave does not absolve Israel of its obligations under international humanitarian law to refrain from harming civilians who cannot, or choose not to, leave.      

For many weeks, Islamic Relief and other humanitarian agencies have been warning that an invasion of Rafah must not be allowed to go ahead. It will have catastrophic humanitarian consequences. More than 1.2 million people are now sheltering in dire conditions in Rafah. Many of them have been forced to move several times over the past seven months.  

The Israeli invasion of Rafah must not be allowed to happen, Islamic Relief warns again as fears mount over an imminent ground invasion.

More than 1.2 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah in apocalyptic conditions. Civilians there are terrified about the coming days as more deadly bombings hit Rafah overnight and Israeli forces are reportedly amassing nearby.  

An invasion of Rafah would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences.

The invasion would inevitably kill thousands more civilians and uproot hundreds of thousands of people yet again. It would make widespread famine inevitable. It would massively disrupt the humanitarian response across Gaza, which is primarily based in Rafah, at a time when lifesaving aid is needed more than ever. 

World leaders must do everything they can to halt the escalation in Rafah. They must increase efforts to ensure an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access.   

Since October, Rafah has become one of the most overcrowded places in the world.

About half of Gaza’s entire population is now crammed into the tiny area along the border with Egypt. Islamic Relief staff and partners in Rafah are distributing aid such as cooked meals and water. However, many people are still starving and desperately need food, healthcare and other aid.   

Many people fled to Rafah on Israeli orders to leave other parts of Gaza. Yet, now, they are being ordered to move again. Civilians must be protected regardless of whether they stay or move. Ordering people to leave does not absolve Israel of its obligations under international humanitarian law to refrain from harming civilians who cannot, or choose not to, leave.    

The humanitarian crisis in Rafah is worsening by the day.

Multiple families share a single tent, while others sleep under scraps of cloth or plastic, surrounded by sewage water. Last week extreme heat killed at least two young children in the tents as temperatures rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).  

Islamic Relief staff in Gaza described conditions in the tents during such heat as “like living in an inferno”. Similar temperatures are likely in the coming weeks. With the heat and lack of clean water and sanitation, the spread of diseases is expected to increase even further.

Gaza is now just weeks away from widespread famine, yet Israel’s blockade continues.

Within the Gaza Strip, the ongoing blockage restricts aid despite repeated commitments to allow for more aid. Last week, an average of just over 200 trucks a day were able to enter Gaza. This is far less than the 500 a day that entered Gaza before October and it barely scratches the surface of what is needed now. Israel continues to obstruct humanitarian access to northern Gaza, with the UN reporting that more than one-third of aid missions to the north were blocked during April.

The US military has announced that construction of a temporary pier to deliver aid by sea should be finished soon. But even if it gets fully operational, its capacity will be just a fraction of what is needed. Only an immediate ceasefire and full unimpeded humanitarian access by land can ensure that aid reaches people in sufficient quantity.