'Worst humanitarian situation' in Gaza as aid blockade passes 50-day mark, says UN

The UN humanitarian office on Tuesday warned that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached its most critical point since the war began, as aid deliveries have been blocked for 51 consecutive days.

"Right now is probably the worst humanitarian situation we have seen throughout the war in Gaza," Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA, told a UN briefing in Geneva in response to Anadolu's question.

Laerke underscored the dire conditions facing civilians in Gaza, as no humanitarian aid has entered the enclave for over 50 days -- and commercial goods for "even longer."

"You can see a clear tendency towards total disaster," he said.

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza's crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory. The Israeli army resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Israel has killed more than 51,200 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for 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.