Gaza's Water Crisis Escalates as Urgent Aid Remains Stranded Outside
Gaza's Water Crisis Escalates as Urgent Aid Remains Stranded Outside
Despite diplomatic attempts to open a corridor with Egypt, vital humanitarian assistance is accumulating at the closed Gaza border. The World Health Organization has issued a warning that water supplies are depleting for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been displaced in the bombarded territory. Israel has imposed a siege on Gaza for over a week in retaliation to the deadly incursion by Hamas, the controlling Islamist militant group of the coastal enclave inhabited by 2.2 million individuals.
On Tuesday, Blinken made an announcement stating that the United States and Israel have agreed to collaborate on devising a strategy to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance from donor countries and international organizations to the civilian population in Gaza. Nonetheless, the current status regarding the opening of the Rafah crossing, the sole entry point to Gaza not under Israeli control, remains uncertain.
A satellite photo provided by MAXAR Technologies shows four 30-foot craters blocking the roadway at the Rafah border crossing closest to the Egyptian gate.
Maxar Technologies
WHO warning
In a social media post on Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning that Gaza is on the brink of a severe public health crisis. The organization highlighted the urgent situation of over 3,500 patients in 35 hospitals, who are at immediate risk due to the scarcity of water.
According to WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris, the UN health agency had previously reached an agreement with Egypt's president to open the Rafah crossing for aid. However, the recent strikes by Israel have made the facility unsafe, obstructing the essential flow of vital supplies.
UN humanitarian envoy Martin Griffiths will be traveling to Cairo on Tuesday to support diplomatic initiatives, as stated in a press release from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. During his trip, he will also be making a visit to Israel.
According to Al-Qahera News, a state-affiliated media outlet, a convoy of trucks loaded with aid supplies was moving through Egypt towards the crossing early on Tuesday. A significant portion of the aid has already been delivered in the past few days, with contributions from various countries and international organizations.
Palestinians carry a person wounded in Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Monday, October 16.
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Israeli army soldiers patrol at an undisclosed position in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on October 15.
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Israeli armored personnel carriers maneuver in southern Israel, on October 15.
Palestinian children look at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Rafah, Gaza, on October 15.
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People react at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Saturday, October 14.
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Leaflets dropped from Israeli army planes fall over Gaza City on Friday, October 13.
An Israeli soldier looks inside a house that was overrun by Hamas militants in Be'eri, Israel, on October 13.
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Israelis take cover after hearing warning sirens of incoming rockets fired from Gaza in Rehovot, Israel, on October 13.
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A Palestinian child is injured during bombing in Gaza on October 13.
Palestinians flee from northern Gaza to the south after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning to seek refuge in the south, on October 13.
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Mourning family members of Valentin Ghnassia gather for his funeral ceremony at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on October 12. Ghnassia tragically lost his life in a valiant encounter with Hamas militants in Be'eri, Israel.
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An Israeli military helicopter flies near the border between Gaza and Sderot, Israel, on October 12.
Palestinians seek shelter in Khan Younis, Gaza, after a house next door was hit by an Israeli airstrike on October 12.
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A Palestinian woman covered in dust and dirt carries a child in Gaza City on October 12.
An Israeli soldier walks by a house destroyed by Hamas militants in Kibbutz Be'eri on Wednesday, October 11.
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An Israeli army self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 11.
People carry bodies of Palestinians killed during an Israeli airstrike prior to their burial in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.
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Palestinians run from Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.
Israeli soldiers load donated food into the back of a military vehicle in Sderot, Israel, on October 11.
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A kindergarten in Be'eri, Israel, displays a cracked window with evident bullet holes at its entrance. This self-sufficient farming community, situated near Gaza, was targeted by Hamas militants on October 7 as one of their initial attacks.
A mourner reacts while burying a child from the al-Agha family, who were killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.
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Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City on Tuesday, October 10.
Israel Defense Forces informed CNN that Hamas militants perpetrated a "massacre" in Kfar Aza, an Israeli village located near the Gaza border. On October 10, Israeli soldiers were seen carrying a body in the mentioned village.
Palestinians mourn during the funeral of a relative killed in an Israeli strike, in Gaza City on October 10.
During the funeral in Ashkelon, Israel, on October 10, individuals grieve at the gravesite of Eden Guez, who tragically lost her life while attending a music festival. The festival was targeted by terrorists from Gaza, resulting in the devastating loss of at least 260 lives, as confirmed by Israeli authorities.
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Stranded travelers wait to be booked on a flight at Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv on October 10.
Palestinians walk amid the rubble following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10.
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Israelis in Ashkelon take cover in a shelter as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets on October 10.
People gather around the bodies of two Palestinian reporters, Mohammed Soboh and Said al-Tawil, who were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 10.
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A family takes shelter at a neighbor's house after their home was damaged in an Israeli airstrike in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza on October 9.
Children run for cover as bombs fall near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 9.
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People take shelter in Jerusalem on October 9.
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Sama Alwadia, only six months old, was pulled out from under the debris in Gaza City on October 9. Despite managing to survive the initial attack, the child tragically succumbed to her injuries during medical care.
Lightning strikes over Gaza City following an Israeli bombardment on October 9.
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A Palestinian man mourns over the body of his nephew killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9.
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Israeli soldiers work on a tank at the border between Israel and Gaza on October 9.
Palestinians remove a body from the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike on the Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza on October 9.
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The mother of Israeli Col. Roi Levy cries during her son's funeral at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem on October 9.
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Israelis view a damaged residential building in Ashkelon after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza on October 9.
Tali Touito reacts as she describes how Hamas gunmen attacked and took over the police station on her street, in Sderot, Israel, on Sunday, October 8.
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Fatima Shbair/AP
A relative of an Israeli missing since the attacks is overcome by emotion during a press conference in Ramat Gan, Israel, on October 8.
Maya Alleruzzo/AP
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Israelis inspect the rubble of a building in Tel Aviv on October 8, a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza.
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza on October 8.
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Rockets launched from Gaza are intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system on October 8.
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A woman runs to her family's reinforced concrete shelter moments after rocket sirens sounded in Ashkelon on October 7.
From the window of his family's apartment, a man surveys damage from a rocket that struck a parking lot in Ashkelon on October 7.
Tamir Kalifa/The New York Times/Redux
Fatima Shbair/AP
Police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket in Ashkelon on October 7.
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Smoke rises over Gaza during Israeli airstrikes on October 7.
An Israeli woman reacts over the body of her relative who was killed in the southern Israeli city of Sderot on October 7.
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A man in Ashkelon runs after rockets were launched from Gaza on October 7.
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Palestinians inspect a destroyed building as emergency responders try to contain fires after Israeli jets bombed Gaza on October 7.
Outside of a hospital in Gaza, men sit next to the covered body of a Palestinian militant killed during Saturday's clashes.
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A woman stands in a room damaged by rockets in Ashkelon on October 7.
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Smoke rises as the clashes between Palestinian groups and Israeli forces continue on the streets of Beit Hanun in Gaza on October 7.
People take cover in a bomb shelter in Rishon Lezion, Israel, as rockets are launched from Gaza on October 7.
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In pictures: The deadly clashes in Israel and Gaza
On Monday, a family of five Palestinian-Americans, all of whom are US citizens, traveled to Rafah upon receiving news of the borders potentially opening. Haifa Kaoud, whose husband Hesham is one of the family members trapped in Gaza, expressed that they waited for hours at Rafah, but unfortunately, the border never opened. She further added that due to the limited access to electricity and the internet, they rely on us for updates and information.
Rising death toll
On Monday, the UN Security Council dismissed a Russian resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire due to insufficient votes. The proposed resolution faced opposition from various countries, including the US, the United Kingdom, and France. One of the reasons for their opposition was the failure of the draft to condemn Hamas for the attack that occurred on October 7. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that this attack resulted in a significant loss of life, with at least 1,400 casualties and numerous individuals being held hostage.
In Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes has left a trail of destruction. Residents of Gaza, Palestine, brave the rubble-filled streets and damaged houses as they go about their daily lives. (Photo by Mohamed Zaanoun / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by MOHAMED ZAANOUN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the official Palestinian press agency, WAFA, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh revealed on Monday that the week-long Israeli bombardment in Gaza resulted in the deaths of over 2,800 individuals, including hundreds of children. Additionally, more than 11,000 people were reported to have been wounded. Furthermore, the Palestinian Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that at least 49 individuals were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeted at the southern Gaza cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.
Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, vehemently refuted allegations made by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who is known for advocating for Palestinian rights. Erdan dismissed the claims of ethnic cleansing as "completely untrue" and accused Albanese of engaging in anti-Semitic behavior.
In a statement released on Saturday, Albanese accused Israel of conducting a systematic expulsion of Palestinians, referring to past incidents where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced or compelled to leave their residences during conflicts in 1948 and 1967.
