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| Unrwa said food warehouses and distribution centres in eastern Rafah were inaccessible because of the Israeli military operation |
Food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has been halted due to a lack of supplies and security concerns, according to the UN.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reported that its distribution center and a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse are now inaccessible due to the ongoing Israeli military operation against Hamas in eastern Rafah.
Over 815,000 of the more than one million people seeking refuge in Rafah have been displaced since the Israeli operation began two weeks ago. UNRWA also stated that its health centers have not received medical supplies in the past 10 days.
The announcement coincides with a US statement indicating that no aid entering northern Gaza through a newly completed floating pier has yet been distributed to Palestinians by humanitarian organizations.
On Saturday, desperate crowds intercepted WFP trucks transporting aid from the pier, leading the agency to suspend deliveries until new routes could be identified.
Israel launched a military campaign to dismantle Hamas following the group's cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage. Since then, more than 35,640 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
After seven months of conflict, Israel maintains that victory is unattainable without capturing Rafah and eliminating the last remaining Hamas battalions there. However, the UN and Western powers have warned that an all-out assault could result in mass civilian casualties and a humanitarian disaster.
On May 6, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate before initiating "precise operations" against Hamas operatives and infrastructure. Since then, Israeli troops have advanced into central neighborhoods and taken control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which remains closed. The UN has stated that the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel is too dangerous to access.
On Monday, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared Israel's commitment to expanding the ground operation in Rafah.
In a report on Tuesday, UNRWA announced it had suspended food distribution due to the Israeli operation making its distribution center and WFP warehouse inaccessible. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric remarked, “People don’t eat,” when asked about the ramifications.
The exact number of people still residing in Rafah is unclear. However, the head of UNRWA suggested on Sunday that “nearly half of the population are on the road.”
The IDF has directed displaced persons to an “expanded humanitarian area” from nearby al-Mawasi to the central town of Deir al-Balah, promising field hospitals, tents, food, and other supplies. The UN has countered, stating that no area in Gaza is safe and that the designated area is overcrowded and lacks clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.
On Tuesday, the IDF reported that its soldiers were continuing targeted raids on terrorist infrastructure in eastern Rafah, eliminating dozens of terrorists. Another statement mentioned facilitating the passage of hundreds of trucks carrying essential supplies across Gaza, with 381 aid trucks transferred via Kerem Shalom on Tuesday and another 70 entering northern Gaza via the Erez West crossing. However, 650 truckloads of aid remain awaiting collection by agencies at the crossings.
The UN has also pointed out that accessing Kerem Shalom is perilous and that areas near Erez West are under Israeli evacuation orders.
A UN-backed assessment in March warned that 1.1 million people in Gaza faced catastrophic hunger levels, with famine imminent by May in northern Gaza, where around 300,000 people are trapped. Although no formal famine declaration has been made, WFP executive director Cindy McCain recently stated, “there is full-blown famine in the north, and it's moving its way south.”
On Friday, the first aid trucks rolled off the US military’s floating pier southwest of Gaza City, which US officials claim will “surge humanitarian assistance.” US Central Command reported that 569 tonnes of aid were delivered by cargo ships from Cyprus. However, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder later noted that none of these supplies had been distributed by humanitarian organizations.
Mr. Dujarric mentioned that contractors managed to drive 10 aid trucks from the pier to a WFP warehouse in Deir al-Balah on Friday, but the next day, 11 of the 16 trucks were intercepted by desperate crowds. “These trucks were traveling through areas where there'd been no aid,” Dujarric said. “People feared they would never see aid again, so they grabbed what they could.”
Gen Ryder stated that discussions among the US, Israel, and the UN are ongoing to identify safer routes for staff and cargo. “We anticipate that assistance will be distributed in the coming days, conditions permitting,” he added.
Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization reported that the largest partially functional hospital in northern Gaza was hit four times on Tuesday, amid battles between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in the nearby Jabalia area. The IDF is reviewing reports that Israeli missiles struck the emergency department of Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia, forcing patients to be moved to a street outside. The WHO also reported that al-Awda hospital in Jabalia has been besieged since Sunday, trapping staff, patients, and their companions inside.
Since May 11, tens of thousands of civilians have fled Jabalia following the IDF's announcement that it would re-enter the area due to Hamas regrouping there.
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