UN agency for Palestinian refugees says it will run out of fuel in Gaza in 3 days

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Sunday that it will run out of fuel in the Gaza Strip in three days.

“Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries. Without fuel, aid will not reach many civilians in desperate need. Without fuel, there will be no humanitarian assistance,” Philippe Lazzarini, the UN agency’s commissioner-general, said in a written statement.

He further said that no fuel will “further strangle” the people of Gaza, adding that without fuel, they “will fail the people of Gaza whose needs are growing by the hour, under our watch.”

“This cannot and should not happen,” Lazzarini said.

“I call on all parties and those with influence over them to immediately allow fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip and to ensure that fuel is strictly used to prevent a collapse of the humanitarian response,” he added.

The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment and blockade since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

At least 4,651 Palestinians, including 1,873 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.