Gaza: The United Nations has raised alarm over the increasingly dire situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid ongoing Israeli attacks on the besieged territory. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is now likely the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (O.C.H.A.) said on Monday.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the U.N. agency has raised concerns about the Israeli blockade of aid delivery to Gaza, warning that it could have life-threatening consequences for people in urgent need of care. The report indicates that more than two-thirds of the Gaza Strip is either under active displacement orders or designated as 'no-go' zones, leaving the remaining space fragmented, unsafe, and barely livable for Palestinians.

The O.C.H.A. has called on Israel, which it identifies as the occupying power with clear obligations under international law, to make food, medical care, and public health services available for the people under occupation. The statement pointed out that since Israel imposed a full closure on the entry of cargo into Gaza, no one, including the U.N. and its humanitarian partners, has been permitted to bring in supplies.

Israel, with the backing of the U.S., launched a war on Gaza back in October 2023, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of civilians and the destruction of the coastal Palestinian territory. Although a ceasefire agreement was reached in January this year between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas, which briefly halted the war, the regime resumed its military aggression in mid-March, violating the terms of the truce deal.